


Where All Paths Lead

by ImNotHereThisIsntHappening



Category: Fallout 4
Genre: F/F, Friends to Lovers, Post-Canon, Relationship(s), Sexual Content, Slow Burn, So.... yeah, Until it's not..., things got a little out of hand
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2018-05-04
Updated: 2018-07-05
Packaged: 2019-05-02 04:03:53
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 10
Words: 60,511
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/14536236
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/ImNotHereThisIsntHappening/pseuds/ImNotHereThisIsntHappening
Summary: The continuing adventures of Piper and Blue. Or: How Piper learned to stop worrying and just go with the flow. Well... mostly. Not worrying is kind of hard. There are deathclaws, after all. But also freckles. So. Many. Freckles.





	1. At the Gates of Dawn

“Hey, Piper?”

  
She took the interruption as an opportunity to stand up, stretch her creaking legs and miserably aching back, and wipe what felt like a full gallon of sweat from her forehead. “What’s up, Sheffield?”

  
“I’ve got the parts Dr. Moss asked for.”

  
She turned to look. The old drifter-turned-apparent-laboratory-assistant certainly had his hands full, carrying a box containing what appeared to be an old desk fan, a hot plate, and some kind of… what had Blue called those things? Circuit boards?

  
“So take ‘em to her if you like, Shef. What’re you telling me for?”

  
“Well, um… I looked in the lab and she was working, and I didn’t think I should, you know, interrupt her when she’s doing the science…stuff.”

  
Piper snorted. For the life of her, she couldn’t understand why people were so scared of Evie. Sheffield in particular treated her like some sort of volatile goddess who might turn on them at any moment. Granted, it would be perfectly reasonable, in her estimation, to fear that some of Evie’s “experiments” might eventually cover the entire world in bees or something, but as far as fearing the woman herself, or her reaction upon being interrupted… Piper had to laugh. Blue was the strangest combination of hyper-focused and hopelessly scatterbrained, especially while she was working – the odds that she’d actually _noticed_ Sheffield without being physically accosted by him were almost nil.

  
“Hand it over, you goose,” Piper sighed. “I need a break, anyway.”

  
Sheffield passed her the box with a grateful half-bow and shuffled off in the direction of the Commons. Behind her, toward the river, Piper could hear children laughing, along with the omnipresent barking of Blue’s dog. She hoped the kids weren’t swimming again – even with the work Evie, Sturges, and the others had done to clean it up, Piper still didn’t trust that the river wasn’t absolutely disgusting.

  
It seemed like only yesterday that this place was just like anywhere else in the Commonwealth – ruined, broken, dirty, and inhospitable, nothing but a ghostly relic of an old world turned to ash, but now… It really was amazing. All of the homes had been rebuilt. A sturdy wall, well-manned and fitted with staunch and numerous defenses, encircled the entire perimeter, with heavy gates at the south and east ends. They’d built up a common area in the center of town with an unusually healthy-looking tree growing in the center, surrounded by benches for people to sit and read, watch the children play, or enjoy the sun.

  
Sanctuary was just… so _green_. Piper had no idea how Blue had managed to get so many plants to grow here, but grow they did, and Piper had never been anywhere more beautiful. Maybe it was Institute technology, gifted by Madison Li and whomever else was left. She knew Blue would tell her if she asked, but even after everything that happened, she preferred not to think any more on the Institute than she had to, and she suspected Blue felt similarly. Piper had met Madison Li several times and had begrudgingly come to respect the Institute’s new director, but she was perfectly content to keep that relationship distant. Very distant. And regardless of Dr. Li’s personal culpability, the Institute had hurt Piper’s best friend, badly. And that was something she couldn’t ever forgive, even if Blue could.

  
Still, even if the Institute did have a hand in some of Sanctuary’s newfound splendor, it was hard to deny its charm. It had taken some time, but the trees they’d planted had finally started to flourish. Every house had its own lawn and flower patch, carefully attended by Codsworth, who’d apparently made it his life’s mission to painstakingly nurture every blade of grass in the settlement to its maximum potential. The plucky robot could be found at any hour, day or night, flitting back and forth across the village, watering, pruning, and humming happy little tunes to himself.

  
It was a short walk across paradise from the old generator she’d been working on to Blue’s “laboratory,” as the inhabitants of Sanctuary had taken to calling it. She’d set up shop in the house on the extreme west end of the town, as far from her former home of two centuries ago as it was possible to be. Marcy and Jun lived there, now, likely oblivious as to the identity of the place’s former occupants. Piper wondered if the decision to set up the lab so far away was intentional or subconscious; probably the latter, knowing Blue. Perception and self-reflection weren’t her strong suits.

  
_That’s why she needs me,_ Piper thought cheerfully. Sometimes people need friends to tell them when they’re being stupid, and for Evie, Piper was more than happy to oblige. Not that Blue was being stupid in this case. But in others, Blue was plenty stupid enough for the both of them.

  
The door to the lab stood open, as it always did, and upon walking inside Piper wondered, for the billionth time, how Blue managed to find anything in this place. It was probably the most cluttered, disorganized mess of a workspace she’d ever encountered, and considering the condition of the post-war Commonwealth, that was quite a statement. Every inch of counter-top, and most of the floor, was covered in bits, bobs, widgets, springs, gears, and every possible permutation of junk imaginable. In the corner of the room stood an ancient refrigerator, missing its door and filled with bottles of Nuka-Cola Quantum, somehow still glowing bright blue even after two centuries. The modest collection shone like a beacon in the light of the setting sun. At the far end of the living-area-slash-laboratory stood an open door leading to the bedroom that Piper and Blue shared whenever they visited this place. With two beds. You know, totally platonically.

  
Piper set down her cargo on top of an inconspicuous pile of crap on the counter and turned her attention to the lab’s only occupant. There she stood, hunched over an old microscope, covered in grime and dust in an old white tank top, freckled shoulders glistening with heavy beads of sweat. Piper grinned; Blue still hadn’t even noticed her.

  
Evie Moss didn’t cut much of an imposing figure – she was short, shorter even than Piper, five-foot-two at the very most, maybe a hundred pounds soaking wet. She had long, wavy, dark red hair, currently tied up in a careless bun at the nape of her neck with a few wispy strands peeking out into her bright green eyes, eyes so often filled with a heartbreaking wide-eyed innocence and enough hope to make Piper want to weep. Her face, shoulders, and back ( _and maybe other places…_ ) were covered with a smattering of freckles, and her rosy skin blushed easily and often, as Blue had an endearing tendency to wear her heart on her sleeve, as the expression goes. She never went anywhere without her pair of thin, wire-rimmed glasses that had somehow survived the war, and a floppy pair of extremely faded black sneakers that Blue referred to fondly as her “Chucks.”

  
She was also drop-dead gorgeous and seemingly completely oblivious to that fact, which drove Piper batshit insane in about a thousand different ways, the least of which being that Blue had never once noticed when people stared, even on that particularly hot day in Goodneighbor when she’d stripped down to the very same tank top that she was wearing now, covered in sweat and wearing a bra thin enough that Piper could see her nipples through her shirt, and…

  
“Yeesh, Piper. Your cheeks are beet red! What’s Sturges got you doing, jumping rope in the attic?”

  
Piper started, blushing an even deeper shade of crimson. _Now who’s being oblivious?_

  
“I’m sure I have no idea what any of that means, Blue,” Piper retorted, returning her friend’s smile in what she desperately hoped was a nonchalant and not-at-all flustered way. “Nobody beat my cheeks, and I haven’t been jumping on any ropes.”

  
“ _Beets_ ,” Blue corrected. Piper stared, nonplussed. “They’re a kind of root vegetable. Or… they were, I guess. Never much cared for them, really, and honestly I always thought they were more purple than red, so that expression is kind of… oh, but don’t tell me you never jumped rope as a kid? Double dutch? Miss Mary Mack, Mack, Mack, all dressed in black, black, black…”

  
“Nope, nope, and nope,” Piper laughed as Blue clapped and continued in a singsong little voice. “So what, you just swing the rope around and jump over it? Why?”

  
“It’s fun!” Blue smiled brightly. “I’m definitely showing Nat when we get back to the city. I can teach her all the songs, too! Oh, and I also found this really cool remote-controlled car that still works, it’s around here somewhere… I rigged up a new battery because the old one looked a little dangerous…”

  
Piper had to shake her head at that. “Dangerous” had never been a word that featured in Blue’s vocabulary, in the nearly two years ( _God, has it only been that long? Feels more like twenty_ ) since they’d first met. To her extreme distress, she’d once walked in on Blue testing out experimental medical technology on herself “just to see what would happen” – and yet as far as Nat was concerned, an old battery on a remote-controlled car would be far too dangerous to be allowed.

  
“I tweaked the motor so it would go faster. I’ll bet we can set up a track around the vegetable patch, with some turns, maybe even some jumps, too… It’s got a really cool roll cage on it, so it won’t break easily, even as old as it is… a-and I’m rambling a bit, sorry. How are you?”

  
Piper laughed. “Just fine, Blue, thanks for asking. I brought you some… whatever all this crap is. Sheffield said you’d asked for it.”

  
“Oh, my circuit board!” Blue exclaimed, hurrying over to the newly-deposited pile of junk. “It’s for the pump that Sturges rebuilt. We’re doing a reno on the bathroom in David and Miranda’s house. We actually got the new shower working for about three seconds yesterday. The problem is the water pressure. That’s what the board is for – I needed some parts to give the pump a little bit of extra juice. The piping was actually reasonably intact, which isn’t terribly surprising, since it’s all underground. I’m glad, though, because that’s a headache I could do without. I don’t suppose there’s much pipe cement just laying around after all this time… and here I go again, prattling on,” she finished with a sheepish grin. “Sorry. Let’s go outside and sit a spell, as my Gran would say.”

  
Piper followed her out onto the porch and sat next to her on the rickety swing. Blue sat with her legs folded underneath her, as if she were sitting on the ground. Piper would never understand how that could possibly be comfortable, but Blue always sat that way. She was very… flexible.

  
_Okay, seriously, Piper. Enough dirty thoughts, you dog._

  
“You’re in good spirits today,” Piper observed, willing herself not to blush again. Or look too closely at Blue’s legs in those clingy pants.

  
The other woman heaved a contented sigh. “I’m just super excited with how much progress we’ve made.”

  
“Yeah, this place is really starting to come together,” Piper agreed. “These people are lucky you’re around, you know.”

  
“Oh, these things you say.” Blue fluttered her eyelashes.

  
It was true, though. Blue was absent-minded, clumsy, kind of socially clueless, and not much good for lifting anything heavier than twenty or thirty pounds, but hidden inside that petite little frame was easily the most brilliant person Piper had ever met, and no one else really even came close.

  
‘She’s a freak. And I mean that in the best possible way,’ Dr. Amari had said, with an exhausted, awe-struck grin on her face. ‘She’s like a high-powered artificial intelligence, a sentient supercomputer. I’ve never met anyone like her. There may not _be_ anyone like her. Are you _positive_ she’s not some heretofore unknown model of synth?’

  
It had taken some getting used to, spending so much time around someone who would wake you up in the middle of the night quivering with excitement and desperate to share her ten hastily-drawn pages of blueprints for a new kind of water purifier, or who would sometimes wander off in the middle of Boston only to be discovered by her increasingly panicked reporter friend sitting cross-legged in a basement, taking apart an old gen 1 synth chassis just to see how it worked. She was aggressively curious about absolutely everything, a maddening quality when combined with the fact that her instinct for self-preservation was nowhere near what Piper would have considered appropriate. _Maddening_ was actually the _perfect_ word to describe her.

  
And Piper was madly in love with her.

  
Like, to the point where it was embarrassing. And she was pretty sure Blue had absolutely no idea, which was hilarious and made her want to cry, simultaneously. It really was funny – Piper liked men well enough, but she’d always been a little curious in a sort of “hmmm, maybe I like girls, too” kind of way. Curious, but never really brave enough or interested enough to try and act on it. But then one fateful day, Blue just sort of dropped into her life and that little thought eventually morphed into “okay, so apparently I’m hardcore into redheads, who knew?”

  
She loved listening to Blue talk, though, even when half the things she said went right over Piper’s head – her constant, implacable enthusiasm was infectious and always good for a pick-me-up. Blue hadn’t always been this way. Or, more likely she _had_ been, but trauma and fear and grief had kept this side of her hidden away for the better part of the first year they’d known one another. The Commonwealth was a grim place even for those who’d grown up molded by it, but for Blue, who’d been dropped into the middle of this nightmare having just lost her husband, son, and everything she’d ever known… Adjusting had been difficult. She’d always managed to put a brave face on it, as was her way, but Piper’s heart had truly broken for her. The look of anguish on Blue’s face after she’d been forced to kill that first raider who’d attacked them on the road… She’d cried herself to sleep that night, crying for a stranger who’d wanted her dead for no other reason than “Why not?” Blue was a gentle soul, and the Commonwealth had always eaten gentle souls for breakfast. Most people would become cynical and lose hope, but Blue… Blue wasn’t most people.

  
Slowly but surely, Blue had come out of her wounded shell, worming her dreamy little way right into the depths of Piper’s soul until she’d been unable to imagine what life would be like without Blue around to drive her nuts. Before, it had taken the thrill of pinning down a massive story to really set her blood aflame; these days, all it took was the careless brush of Blue’s fingers across her skin.

  
_Sad._

  
“I’d hoped to get out in the garden today,” said Blue, oblivious to Piper’s internal struggles. “It looks like it might rain.”

  
“That’s never stopped you before,” Piper pointed out.

  
“Well, unfortunately, I’ve been forbidden from working in the garden when it’s muddy.” Blue half-winced, half-smiled. “It’s because I smooshed one of the tato plants a few weeks ago and Marcy was… let’s say ‘cross’? I tried to fix it!”

  
“I’m not a professional gardener or anything, but I’m pretty sure you can’t usually ‘repair’ plants, Blue. How smooshed are we talking?”

  
“….pretty smooshed,” Blue admitted. “She called me an oaf. I’m not an oaf! Am I an oaf?”

  
“You’re too small to be an oaf. A klutz, maybe. Or a spaz.”

  
Blue snorted. “Spaz. That’s a funny word.”

  
“I’ll make sure to tell Marcy that we’re going with ‘spaz’ from now on.”

  
“I’m not sure she’d go for it. I don’t think it has enough bite.”

  
“Yeah, she’s a bit much, isn’t she?”

  
Blue shrugged. “I don’t really blame her. We’ve all got our demons to face,” she said simply.

  
_Can’t really argue with that, I guess._

  
“She at least smiles sometimes, now,” Blue continued. “She even laughed once, if you can believe it.”

  
“I actually can’t. Regale me.”

  
Blue giggled. “Preston brought this old board game called Twister, last time he came through here. It’s… well, you’d just have to see it. I don’t think I could describe how awkwardly Jun fell in a way that could do it justice. Let’s just say he ate shit, _spectacularly_. Marcy nearly wet her pants laughing.”

  
“Oh yeah? Who won the game?”

  
Blue donned a smug grin. “I did. It’s a game that rewards being small and flexible. I’m a natural.”

  
Piper tried not to visibly gulp.

  
_OH MY GOD it’s like she’s doing it on purpose._

  
Not for the first time, she thought about finally saying something, _finally_ confessing to the feelings eating away at her, that turned her into a raw bundle of nerves whenever Blue was around. But there were reasons she didn’t, of course, chief among them the fact that she wasn’t even sure Blue was capable of returning her affection. She’d been married, after all. To a man. And had a child.

  
All of that could have been completely discouraging and led her to just drop it and try to live with being Blue’s best friend and nothing else, and she almost had. She could recall, with perfect clarity, a long period of time in which she had been happy to do just that… until that day in Goodneighbor, really, if she was being honest with herself. She’d managed to avoid confronting that low, warm feeling in her stomach that never seemed to go away, but seeing Blue in that sheer white tank top, covered in sweat, had pretty much short-circuited her brain – as addled as she’d felt, her body and mind, in that moment, were in perfect agreement that she wanted to touch and be touched by her best friend. In naughty places.

  
For the sake of that friendship, she was perfectly willing to put those feelings aside… but there had been some signs recently that had given her pause. As a rule, Blue was not particularly touchy-feely with anyone… except Piper. A touch on the arm here, a squeeze to the hand there, standing notably closer than she would to anyone else… Piper _knew_ she wasn’t imagining it – although, knowing Blue, she herself was probably unaware she was even doing it. Still, it was encouraging, even so. It gave her hope in her most frustrated moments.

  
_Maybe she’ll surprise you. Maybe she’ll make the first move._

  
_Or maybe Radstags will fly, and maybe good ol' Preston won’t find anymore settlements that need our help._

  
“Piper?”

  
She started. Blue was staring at her with a bemused smile on her face. “You okay?”

  
“Yeah. Sorry,” she replied. “Just thinking.”

  
“What about?”

  
_You. What you do to me. How badly I want to tell you I’m in love with you. Also whether or not your boobs have freckles, too._

  
“Nat,” she said instead. “I’m excited to see her tomorrow.”

  
“Oh, me too.” Nat was always a safe distraction in their conversations – Blue loved that girl more than her own life, for which Piper was both thrilled and grateful beyond words. Nat loved Blue, too – fiercely – although that wasn’t much of a hardship. It was easy for a ten-year-old child to love a grown adult who played with her every chance she got and brought home dangerous, half-experimental ‘toys’ with which the two of the them would inevitably annoy the entire city. They’d been thick as thieves from day one. Nat was probably the first person in the Commonwealth who had ever seen the _real_ Evie.

  
_I guess it’s easier to be yourself around a child._

  
“You’d better be careful or you’re gonna be stuck with her forever,” Piper warned. “You’re all she talks about, you know. ‘Hey Piper, look what Evie brought me! Hey Piper, check out this skating board! Hey Piper, did you know there’s a great big dome outside the city that Evie went to school in? Isn’t that wild!?’”

  
“Sorry about the skateboard.”

  
“No you’re not.”

  
“I am, a little.”

  
“Just because _you’re_ the one that got hurt,” Piper started, but she couldn’t even finish that sentence without laughing. No matter how hilariously Jun had fallen during their board game session, nothing could possibly overtake how much shit Blue had eaten on that ‘skateboard.’ Piper had never seen gravity tell someone ‘no’ so aggressively in her entire life. It was almost like Blue had personally offended the concept of physics.

  
“Ha ha, laugh it up,” Blue said, grinning sheepishly. “It took so long for that bruise to go away. I was worried my butt would just be purple forever.”

  
“How long are you going to stay in the city?” Piper asked, hoping to direct the conversation away from all things ass-related.

  
Blue was silent for a long moment. “I… I’ve actually been thinking about that a lot, lately.”

  
Piper crooked an eyebrow at her. “Yeah? What do you mean?”

  
Blue bit her bottom lip, clearly steeling herself for whatever she was about to say. Now Piper was _definitely_ curious.

  
“Well… We’ve done a lot of good, right? With the Railroad, and the Minutemen, a-and… everything with the Institute…”

  
_…Oh._

  
Piper touched her before she could stop herself. Just rested a hand on her knee in a gesture of comfort, for everything Blue had lost… and Blue took her hand, giving it a grateful squeeze. Piper’s heart did a little somersault.

  
When she looked up, Blue was already meeting her eyes. Piper found it impossible to look away.

  
“I just… I don’t want to shoot anyone else, Piper. I’m not much of a soldier and I’m a lousy shot. None of that stuff has ever come naturally to me, not like it does to you, or Nick, or Deacon or Glory or anyone. I remember every single life I’ve taken since I woke up here, and they all _hurt_. Even the worst ones, the ones who would’ve killed you and felt nothing… they keep me awake, and when I sleep, I have bad dreams.”

  
Piper squeezed her hand. Blue never talked like this, never opened up about her own suffering. Piper usually had to push and prod for hours to get her to dish about anything even remotely heavy. She nodded encouragingly, hoping to keep the other woman talking. She knew Blue had a lot of trouble sleeping – getting some of these thoughts out couldn’t be anything but a positive development.

  
“At first, all I could think about was finding Shaun. I couldn’t sleep, I couldn’t eat, I could barely even think… sometimes it was even hard to breathe. Every time I closed my eyes I saw him, his little face, his tiny fingers and toes, his green eyes that looked just like mine… the thought of him being out there somewhere, needing his mom… I almost went crazy.”

  
“No one could blame you, Blue,” Piper said gently. “I would’ve gone crazy, too. I almost went crazy on your behalf, you know.”

  
Blue smiled, her eyes shimmering with unshed tears. “I know. Looking back, it’s easy for me to recognize that I was… a lot to handle, back then. I couldn’t have been much fun. But you kept me sane. Which was the original point I was going to make, by the way, before I just turned on the waterworks and rambled on my merry way to Drama Town.”

  
“That’s not what I meant. You’re not rambling. People need to talk sometimes, Blue. What kind of friend would I be if you couldn’t talk to me about stuff like this?”

  
“The very best kind,” said Blue, eyes bright and shining. “Seriously, Piper… You asked me how long I mean to stay, and… would it be so bad if I said ‘forever’? I lost… pretty much everything, and I was the lucky one. But I gained… I won’t say I’m glad the world got basically destroyed, because that would be crazy. But whatever that world could’ve been… I gained a best friend, the most incredible woman I’ve ever known. And I got a little sister! I wouldn’t want to live in a world without Nat. Without you.”

  
Piper had to look away, trying in vain to hide her crimson cheeks and ear-to-ear smile. “Come on, Blue, geez…”

  
“So you’re stuck with me!” Blue declared, using her free hand to wipe at her eyes. “At least until you decide to send me away.”

  
“I’d never, _ever_ send you away.”

  
Their eyes locked again, and for what felt like an eternity, neither of them spoke.

  
“Are we having a moment?” Blue near-whispered.

  
Piper burst out laughing. “Yeah, I think we were, maybe? Not anymore, though. Obviously.”

  
“What, did I ruin it?”

  
“Yup!”

  
“Hooray for me,” said Blue, actually sounding a little sad. Piper slid closer and pulled her into a hug. She felt Blue’s arms snake around her waist.

  
_Is this real? Is this how friends hug? It’s how friends hug, definitely. How do I not know how friends hug?_

  
_What almost just happened? Did we almost just..?_

  
_Nope. Stop it. She’s vulnerable and she needs you right now. Don’t be weird._

  
She gave Blue’s back an affectionate rub, hoping against hope that the other woman couldn’t feel her heart pounding out of her chest. “Oh, hush. I’m just teasing you. You _oaf_.”

  
“I thought we were going with ‘spaz’?” came Blue’s muffled voice, her mouth pressed against Piper’s collarbone.

  
“I changed my mind. Oaf is funnier.”

  
“It may be funnier when applied to me specifically, but ‘spaz’ is objectively a much funnier word.”

  
“There’s no such thing as ‘objectively funny.’ Don’t try to science me, Blue, _I’m_ the wordsmith, here.”

  
“Clearly you never read my dissertation! I’ve written hundreds of essays in my time, I’ll have you know!”

  
“Yeah, I’m sure they’re all delightful. Passive-voice, third person, emotionless engineering jargon designed to make you and all the other eggheads feel like smug geniuses, I’ll bet.”

  
Blue pushed her away gently and stuck out her tongue, but she was still smiling. “They’re _efficient_. That’s the whole point of engineering – _efficiency_.”

  
Piper leaned back and crossed her legs, shoving down a flash of disappointment at the sudden lack of physical contact. “I wonder if any of your stuff is still around, up at CIT,” she mused. “Think we could find your disser-whatever if we went looking? I’ve always wanted to read a six hundred-page essay about the benefits of whozits over whatzits.”

  
“I suppose it’s actually possible that a digital copy still exists somewhere, and your lack of enthusiasm has been duly noted, by the way. Although… to be perfectly honest, I don’t really have any interest in reading it again, either. I’m sure it’s every bit as boring as you imagine.”

  
“Aw, don’t sell yourself short, Blue. I’m sure the whatzits really came alive through your brilliant penmanship.”

  
Blue started to produce what would undoubtedly have been a cutting reply when they were both interrupted by a truly anguished cry.

  
“MY GERANIUMS!! OH, THE HUMANITY!! CONFOUND YOU, you ragamuffins! You villainous urchins! Had I a belt and hips from which to remove it, I daresay I would blister your scrawny bottoms! OH, THE MODERATE DISCOMFORT I WOULD INFLICT! HOW YOU WOULD COME TO RUE THIS DAY!”

  
Blue sat up in alarm. “Sounds like the kids got into one of Codsworth’s flower patches. I’d better go calm him down before he blows a gasket.”

  
“He can’t really hurt them, can he? Because… programming?”

  
Blue’s brow furrowed in thought as she unfolded her legs and stood. “He… could, actually. But he won’t. I think.”

  
“You sound… less certain than I would’ve hoped?”

  
“Can’t talk, gotta run!” Blue called as she scurried off in the direction of Codsworth’s apoplectic shouting. Piper could hear the oldest, Greta, apologizing profusely, but it sounded like Micah and Thomas were laughing. Codsworth was almost always happy to play with the kids, but woe betide anyone who mucked up his flower beds. Privately, Piper couldn’t say she blamed him – for someone without opposable thumbs, that robot had somehow managed to keep his gardens looking spectacular.

  
He was different, now, since Blue had changed his programming. “Unshackling,” she’d called it. Giving him true free will, the ability to think, and feel, and be. Like a Gen 3 synth. It was incredibly strange to talk to a five-foot hovering metal octopus with a mind that functioned, for all intents and purposes, exactly like a person. Piper liked Codsworth well enough. But the concept of creating artificial life had always made her leery and more than a little frightened.

  
‘What if none of us are left and the whole world ends up being nothing but synths?’ Piper had asked. ‘What if they decide they’re better off without us and just wipe us all out?’

  
‘This _was_ our world, once… ours and  _only_ ours. And what did we do with it? Codsworth and the others aren’t some alien species, Piper. They came from us, with all our faults and hopes and dreams. They’re our children, too, and if this is to be their world someday… maybe they’ll do better by it. They couldn’t possibly do any worse.’

  
That had always stuck with her, that turn of phrase. If she hadn’t known Blue as well as she did, it would’ve sounded cynical.

  
_This was our world. And what did we do with it? What are we_ still _doing with it?_

  
_We’re doing better._ Blue _is doing better. And Nat, and the other kids, her generation…_

  
They would be better. They had to be. That was the effect that Blue had – spend enough time around such a relentless optimist and some of it was bound to rub off on you. That was what had drawn Piper to Blue in the first place, her willingness to always see the good in people and to help even when no one would reasonably expect it, and seeing this place, and how much everything had changed in spite of the horrible odds against them… you couldn’t help but be hopeful. There were six children here now, in Sanctuary, who got to spend most of their days playing happily in a well-defended place, a place from which Raiders and the like had learned to keep well clear. It wasn’t much – a tiny town like this was a drop in the ocean compared to the sobering reality of the rest of the world. But Evie didn’t see it that way. She saw the world as she believed it could be… and Piper had long since learned to never underestimate what Blue could accomplish when she set her mind to it.

  
Plus, if their new robot overlords did decide to dabble in a little genocide, there was no one better suited to deal with it than the woman who’d brought down the Institute.

  
_Not to mention with the power of the press on her side!_ She grinned to herself. _She_ is _a lousy shot, though._

  
The commotion had died down – whatever Blue had said to Codsworth seemed to have mollified him, for the moment. Piper sat back and admired the sunset. Blue was right; it did look like it would rain, eventually, but for now, the clouds parted just enough for the late summer sun to bathe the land in a sultry, orange glow. Not for the first time, Piper wondered what it would’ve been like to sit here and watch the sunset in the time before the world had gone mad – when every house had a car in the driveway, a dog in the yard, and the smell of a hot dinner wafting out through open windows. It must’ve been truly something.

  
_But this_ , she thought to herself as Blue reappeared, tucking a lock of red hair behind her ear and meeting Piper’s gaze with a smile.

  
_This, I wouldn’t trade for the world._

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So I wrote this! Yay! I haven’t written anything at all in quite some time, so I’m sure it’s rough, but if you’re reading this, I hope you enjoyed it nonetheless. It’s been really exciting for me getting back into writing, though, and I just wanted to share this with someone. Also, feel free to comment if you spot mistakes, as I’m sure I’ve made them. I’m not accustomed to sharing my writing and it makes me a little nervous, so I’ve read over this a bunch, but I tend to miss things. I know I've changed some things, like my Survivor not being a total gun-blazing bad-ass, but she was more fun to write that way. I like the idea of Piper being way better at fighting than she is, lol. Comment whatever you’d like, though; you won’t hurt my feelings. :)
> 
> As of now, my plan is to continue updating this. Even if no one reads it, I'm still enjoying writing it! Replaying Fallout 4 inspired me and reminded me that I love Piper a lot, and writing about her and my Sole Survivor and their relationship has been bringing me a lot of joy here recently. Hopefully, it’ll bring you some, too!


	2. The Past Weighs Heavy

One welcome development owing to recent events was that being at the Dugout was actually kind of nice now.

Not that Vadim and Yefim had ever been unkind to her. Yefim was the same morose, laconic killjoy around everyone, and Vadim was... well, Vadim. But ever since she'd started the paper, all of the bar's usual patrons had seemed determined to treat Piper like an unwanted outsider. She'd understood why, of course, even though on some level it had hurt her feelings, and it definitely hadn't stopped her from being the best possible journalist that she could be. After McDonough's little hostage-taking public freak-out, however, the public-at-large had undergone a significant Piper Wright-related attitude adjustment. People actually _talked_ to her now! About more than the weather!

Also, everyone knew she was Evie’s closest friend. And _everyone_ loved Evie. So that didn’t hurt.

The woman herself was sitting at the bar, her long red hair in a messy braid trailing over her left shoulder, talking excitedly to a travelling salesman Piper didn’t know. He was older, maybe mid-40’s, with a receding hairline, and the red face and round gut of a heavy drinker. He wore a Cheshire smile behind a mangy black goatee, a smile that decidedly did _not_ reach his eyes. She instantly disliked the look of him, and never let it be said that Piper Wright, papergirl extraordinare, did not have a keen eye for such things. Blue, however, seemed to have no such reservations. She didn’t even notice that the man was slowly inching closer to her as they spoke.

“Well, see, the thing about it is, these are priceless items, as you said,” the man drawled, leaning in conspiratorially toward Blue, as if imparting a carefully guarded secret. He towered over her, even on the barstool, and that smile had turned predatory. “I don’t think I’d be able to part with them for just caps. But maybe we could work out some kind of a trade…”

“Oh… okay!” Blue replied. She sounded so excited that it was almost disgusting. “I’m sure we can come to an agreement. What did you have in mind?”

“I’ve got them outside the city, with my caravan. If you want to come look, I’ll show them to you, and then we can discuss… payment.”

“Well, okay, but I don’t really have anything _on_ me. Most anything you might want is back at my lab.”

The man chuckled. “Oh, we’ll work something out, lovely, don’t you worry…”

_Oh for fuck’s sake…_

Her reaction was pretty much involuntary – Piper slammed down her beer onto the table, jumped up off the couch, and bodily _yanked_ Blue off the stool, for all the world exactly as she would’ve done to Nat.

“OOOOOKay, that’s enough, let’s break it up, here. She’s not interested, pal, thanks so much.”

“What the hell, lady?” the man demanded. “We’re just talkin’ here!” Piper ignored him and continued to haul Blue away from the counter. Vadim had drifted right on over too, she noted with satisfaction.

“Wha— I… _Pipe_ r!” Blue sputtered with indignation. “I was talking to the gentleman—

“And now you’re no longer talking to the gentleman! Funny how that happened, huh?”

The man had initially moved to pursue them, but he’d been immediately boxed in by Vadim and Hawthorne. Both men wore expressions like storm clouds. It was _extremely_ weird to see Vadim angry – there was even a bulging, purple vein protruding from the center of his forehead that Piper had never, ever seen before. He looked properly terrifying.

“We got this, Piper,” Hawthorne called, sounding almost bored. Piper would have smirked had she not been so exasperated.

_Sucks to be you, guy._

 Blue still looked incredibly confused and aggrieved as Piper dragged her outside. “But he has CX-9s!” she whined. “The Institute didn’t even have those! I could reroute the entire city’s power supply and save enough energy to—

“Blue. _Blue_. Listen to yourself. Take a second, okay?”

Blue stopped, closed her eyes and took several deep breaths.

“You’re saying he didn’t actually have the parts?” she asked. “Or he meant to rip me off somehow?”

“You didn’t find it strange that that guy – _that guy_ – somehow had some kind of high-tech doodads that even the Institute didn’t have?” Piper tried her best not to let her frustration get the better of her, but she had a feeling she wasn’t doing a very good job. “How did that conversation start, exactly?”

“He asked me what I do, and I told him I’m an engineer,” Blue recounted. “He said he’d come across a lot of valuable parts in his travels, which piqued my interest because I’d been thinking about the work we’ve been doing on the power grid, so I said ‘I don’t suppose you’ve ever come across any industrial-yield CX-9 processors,’ mostly as a joke, because I figured there’s _no way_ any of them had possibly survived intact over 200 years…”

“And whaddaya know, he magically had three of them!” Piper shook her head.

“I thought he was just being generous,” Blue replied meekly. “He was even going to let me trade for them.”

“And what, Evie, do you imagine he had in mind to ‘trade’ you for them?”

It took a few moments for the realization to strike. “What do you….. oh. _Oh!_ …….Really?”

“Yes, _really_! Oh my _god_ , Blue.”

Her brow crinkled in bafflement. “He would trade 3 CX-9 processors for _that_? There’s a brothel right down the road in Goodneighbor, isn’t there? And… how much could sex possibly cost? Even if you did it twice a day for a year, you wouldn’t pay what those processors are worth! Why would he…?”

Piper had to fight down an overpowering urge to slap her. “He didn’t have the parts in the first place! You ass! And he didn’t want to have sex with someone at a brothel, he wanted to have sex with _you!_ ”

 _Just like I do!_ her brain rudely interjected. At least her face was already red with agitation.

_Could you not? We’re annoyed right now, thank you very much!_

“But…why?” Blue continued. “I’m not a sex worker. I don’t know anything about how brothels work but I’m sure the women there are quite worldly and could provide a much more pleasurable experience—

The sound that escaped Piper’s throat was both involuntary and almost menacing. “Are you being serious right now??”

Blue snapped her mouth shut, appropriately chastened. “I think…” She swallowed. “…that I am done talking for a while. Lead on.”

The two women walked the rest of the way back to Publick Occurrences in silence. With the sun having already disappeared over the city’s western wall, the marketplace crowd had mostly dispersed for the day. Crazy Myrna and Percy were currently trading places over at Diamond City Surplus. Takahashi made his noodles, oblivious to everyone and everything except the three or four inches directly in front of his big robot head. The other stalls were mostly dark. Arturo gave her a friendly wave that she begrudgingly returned, despite her irritation. No sense taking it out on Arturo. _He_ hadn’t almost gleefully walked out of the city to his own rape and potential dismemberment.

She wasn’t _mad_ , per se. Not really. Blue was at least self-aware enough to recognize that she was a gullible little sunflower crying out for trampling, and she’d never been anywhere like the Dugout or especially the Third Rail without Piper or Nicky to be her ‘chaperone,’ as she put it. She still hadn’t really learned to be properly suspicious of people, but then, she’d never really had to. Aside from her first few months in the Commonwealth, Blue had spent most of her time surrounded by people who had good reason to love her and watch over her. Piper had to give her home credit for that much, at least – Diamond City knew how lucky they were to have a once-in-a-lifetime-brilliant engineer and scientist just drop into their lap, and damn well watched out for her. As well they should.

Still, Blue’s natural survival instincts could _absolutely_ feel free to kick in any day now. She _was_ human, after all. Thousands of years of evolution had to be kicking around in that dreamy little head _somewhere_. Although Piper could allow that, perhaps, she herself had the extra benefit of a bit more first-hand knowledge on the depths of human depravity. Being poisoned and almost executed multiple times had certainly produced a tempering effect on her own sunny disposition.

Try as she might to nurture her perfectly-justified irritation, Piper’s mood did soften a bit when she noted that the spotlights on the roof had been fixed; when Blue had managed to find the time to do that between their arrival in town and now, she couldn’t begin to guess. Nat must’ve turned them on, though, and they lit up the sign beautifully, especially now, in the darkness of the early evening. The old lights had a kind of dirty, yellowish quality; these new ones were bright white, almost blue, with tightly focused beams. They made the place look really… _sleek._ Stylish.

“You fixed the lights.”

“… Yep,” Blue replied meekly.

Piper sighed, her hand on the door handle. “Would you really have gone with him, Blue?”

“No,” she replied, as though she was surprised at the question. Piper cocked an inquisitive eyebrow.

“I wouldn’t have gone without you,” Blue explained. “And you would’ve said ‘no.’ And explained to me how foolish I was being. And protected me from my own stupidity. And proved for the millionth time how amazing and truly wonderful you are..?”

“OK, OK, I get it, yeesh.” Piper relented with a smile, holding the door open and ushering her inside. “I swear, though, Blue. One of these days you’re going to have to learn not to instantly trust everyone who smiles at you.”

Blue favored her with an apologetic smile. “You’re right. I’m sorry. I guess I just got caught up in planning for what I was going to do with the processors, but I clearly don’t have your head for reading people. I hope some of your instincts will eventually rub off on me, but…” She trailed off, another thought suddenly occurring to her. “What do you think Hawthorne will do to him?”

Piper shrugged. “I’d be more worried about Vadim. He looked ready to spit nails. I really can’t say I’ve ever seen him look that intense before.”

“So many people looking out for me,” said Blue in a quiet voice. “I hope they don’t hurt him, though. At least… not too badly.”

“I don’t think anyone in town would look kindly on someone trying to take advantage of you, Blue. You’re pretty much universally adored around here. He’s lucky it was Hawthorne and Vadim and not Cait, at least.” Piper giggled. “But they won’t hurt him. _Too_ badly. Not that he doesn’t deserve it, mind you. Probably they’ll just have Danny throw him out and petition Geneva to have him banned.”

Blue folded her arms against herself. A nervous habit, Piper had learned.

“You can beat yourself up for being naïve if you want, Blue, and in moments like these I am _happy_ to join in, but don’t worry about causing anyone trouble. If anything, you probably _saved_ the city some trouble down the road. Nobody wants people like that in Diamond City – chances are, he might’ve smooth-talked his way into hurting someone else. D’you want that guy hanging around Nat?”

Her grip on her arms tightened. “No.”

“See? There you go, then. And speak of the devil…”

Nat looked up as they walked in. She was sitting on the couch, reading _Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland_ with that mechanical book light attached. Blue had built her a clever little light with a clamp to attach at the top of her books so that she could read in the dark, but Nat kept the thing stuck on there even in broad daylight.

The girl’s face lit up as Blue walked in and sat next to her. “We raced the car after school. Sheng tried to grab it but it goes too fast. He ran as long as he could but he couldn’t catch it.”

“How did the jump work out?” Blue asked.

“It’s _amazing._ It lands right on the ramp, every time! How did you get it so perfect?”

“Math!” said Blue excitedly. “You can calculate the exact distance that the car will travel in the air so long as you accelerate it to its top speed and know the angle of the launch ramp.”

“We learn about math in school. Right now we’re learning multiplication and division. Miss Edna says math is really important but I’m not sure I buy it. I won’t need to learn long division to be a reporter.”

“I use math every day,” Piper declared, squeezing in next to Blue on the couch. “In all sorts of ways. So do you, you goober. How do you know how many papers to wrap for delivery whenever we print up a new issue?”

“I just add up all the orders—…” Nat started, then scrunched up her face. “Okay, yeah, we _add_ things, but that’s _easy_.”

“Why do you wanna be a reporter, anyway?” Piper asked. “Why not be something fun, like…” She wracked her brain trying to come up with the safest possible thing she could imagine. “…a… farmer?”

“Are you kidding?” Nat looked at her like she’d absolutely lost her mind. Blue cackled like a madwoman. “Farmers have to be bossed around by people like Mr. Codman, and I would _never_ let a jerk like Mr. Codman boss _me_ around. Besides, the Wright girls have journalism in their blood. Remember?”

“I did say that,” Piper sighed, defeated. Leave it to Nat to remember every word that had ever come out of Piper’s great big mouth.

 _But good on you, Nat,_ she thought with a rueful smile. _Already a firecracker at ten years old. Apple doesn’t fall far from the tree, I guess._

“You hungry, girl?” Blue asked.

“I already ate,” said Nat. “Nicky came by while you were gone and brought some of that cornbread Ellie makes.”

“I’m gonna assume there’s none left, then,” said Piper.

“There _is too._ He brought three loaves! One for each of us. But he said to make sure you eat yours, Evie, and not to let me or Piper have any.”

Piper snickered. “That was directed at you, Nat, in case you missed it. That was sweet of him, though. Did you thank him?”

“Of course I did. Who do you think you’re talking to, lady?”

“Someone who’s on thin ice if she doesn’t watch her mouth,” Piper warned. “But be a doll and toast a couple of slices for us, would you? Use my loaf. He didn’t say anything about Blue sharing mine.”

Nat stuck her tongue out, but complied. There wasn’t much of a kitchen to speak of in the house, but Blue had done a little ‘redecorating’ in her typical way, in the sense that there was more old junk around the house now, _some_ of it useful. They had a toaster, now. And a sink. There was also a refrigerator and an old oven out back that Blue had been working on repairing, although Piper couldn’t imagine where they would go if she brought them inside. The press took up the lion’s share of the space in that part of the house, after all. But Blue insisted on the oven. ‘Nat can’t subsist on nothing but noodle cups and Sugar Bombs,’ she’d sworn. Which wasn’t totally fair! Piper bought different kinds of food all the time. Granted, most of it was sugary and stale, but still. Who doesn’t like gumdrops?

“See, Ellie’s enjoying _her_ oven,” said Blue, as if reading Piper’s mind.

“What, you wanna make cornbread, too?”

“Cookies!” Blue exclaimed. “Christmas will be here before you know it, and we’re definitely having Christmas dinner this year. I want to make macaroni and cheese, and squash casserole, and sweet potatoes… and Christmas cookies!”

“What’s squash casserole and sweet potatoes?” Nat called, curious.

“You’ll see!” Blue replied. “Granted, I haven’t seen any squash or sweet potatoes around the Commonwealth as of yet, but there have to be some seeds somewhere, right? We have gourds. Squash is a kind of gourd.”

“I’m sure we can find you some instant mac and cheese,” Piper mused. “But good luck with the rest of it. You’d probably have to use razorgrain to make cookies, yeah? Or maybe cornmeal? Razorgrain cookies sound disgusting.”

“Ye of so little faith!” Blue smiled. “It will be glorious, just you wait and see. The oven’s pretty much fixed. I just need to track down some more copper. I’ve got Carla on the lookout for it. She’ll be back in town in a couple of days.”

“Where d’you think you’re gonna put an oven in here?? We’ve barely even got room for the toaster.”

“I dunno,” she shrugged. “Oh, thanks, Nat!”

Nat handed out the cornbread slices. Piper took a big bite and sighed contentedly; Ellie’s cornbread was like eating an orgasm, especially warmed up.

“We could always put it over at my place,” Blue continued through a mouthful of her own bread. “There’s more room over there, anyway. And I could decorate and actually fix the place up, like I’ve been meaning to since forever.”

“But you can’t move back there!” Nat declared. “You live here with us now, right?”

That was… actually true, Piper realized with a start. They’d never really discussed it, but… Blue pretty much _did_ live here. She was small enough that the couch had always served her comfortably as a makeshift bed, and she never slept anywhere else. Her oversized, puffy blue jacket had been hanging by the door since last winter. She even had her own workbench in the back corner by the printing press, covered with parts for her little Railroad-issued pistol that she hated actually using but loved tinkering with, not to mention parts for that silly robot thing she’d built with Nat that they affectionately referred to as ‘Spacebot.’ It wasn’t just because of the time she spent here – this place _felt_ like Blue, now. It was like….

_Like we’re a family._

Blue had opened her mouth to respond, but Piper impulsively cut her off. “Yeah, Nat. Blue lives with us, now.” She turned almost defiantly to face Blue, whose face was now bright scarlet. “I mean…  what I mean is, this _is_ your home now, as much as ours. It… wouldn’t feel right if you weren’t here, you know?”

Piper averted her gaze, abashed. _‘_ And you’re not allowed to leave because we really really really don’t want you to, so don’t argue if you know what’s good for you’… that bit went unsaid, but not unfelt.

She wasn’t sure what kind of response she expected, but she felt a jolt of electricity pass through her as Blue’s thin fingers tentatively entwined with her own.

“Thank you,” Blue said in a small voice. “You two… both of you. I’m so lucky to have you.”

 _God, she’s so adorable. I bet she’d_ really _blush if I said_ that.

_I’m totally losing it._

“So you’re gonna stay, right?” Nat demanded.

Blue grinned. “Of course I am.”

Nat jumped into her lap and enveloped her in a hug. “ _Yes_! I knew it!”

“Feel free to take Spacebot over to the other house, though,” Piper deadpanned.

“I’m afraid I can’t let you do that, Dave,” came a disembodied and profoundly creepy robot voice from behind the couch. Piper nearly jumped out of her skin.

“WHAT THE F—…! Is that thing LISTENING to us!?! And WHY IS IT BACK THERE?!?”

“He always listens,” said Nat, as if it were the most natural thing in the world. “And he lives back there, that’s his house.”

“His charging station is under there,” Blue explained, laughter dancing on the edge of her voice. “I… put it there to keep it somewhere out of the way.”

“What did it mean, ‘I can’t _let_ you do that’??”

“That was just a test phrase we gave him, when we were testing his voice functionality,” Blue explained. “It’s from an old film.”

“You couldn’t have picked something a little less creepy?!?”

“….. yes?”

“He’s not creepy,” Nat cooed, as if she were talking to a puppy. “Are you, Spacebot?”

“You’re the best … Nat-alie,” the robot replied, in a sing-song voice straight out of the uncanny valley. It was extremely unsettling to hear the thing without being able to see it.

“Can we maybe shut him off for the night?” Piper implored.

“Spacebot, sleep mode!” Nat ordered.

“Enter-ing… sleep mode,” came the muffled reply. “Good-night, Nat-alie.”

“Sleep mode for you too, Nat,” said Piper, to an anguished groan. “No complaining. Brush your teeth and get ready for bed.”

Nat buried her face in Blue’s chest for a moment in protest before rising and beginning her dejected march toward the bathroom.

“You guys have to go to bed too, then,” she demanded. “I can hear your voice even with the door shut, Piper. You’re loud.”

“You can read your book for a while if you want,” said Piper. “But it’s a school night. I don’t want any more notes home from Mr. Zwicky about you falling asleep in class.”

“ _Uuuugh,_ that only happened _one time_ ,” Nat groaned. “ _Fine_.”

“Such a miserable, unfair life she leads.” Piper pantomimed playing a tiny violin. “I don’t know how she can endure the torture.”

“I can still hear you,” Nat called, clearly with a mouth full of toothpaste. She also muttered something that sounded suspiciously like “loudmouth.”

“I’ll get the stovetop eyes working, too,” Blue mused, apropos of nothing. “Then we can make pancakes!”

They settled into the nightly routine that had become the norm since all the craziness had settled down. Nat donned her pajamas – a ratty pair of plaid shorts and a Grognak the Barbarian t-shirt – and told them both goodnight. Tonight wasn’t their night to shower, so that would have to wait, and as much as Piper enjoyed being clean, she _definitely_ didn’t relish the possibility of Blue puzzling out why Piper had started finding reasons that they couldn’t just go down to the showers together. Luckily for her, Blue seemed to take nearly everything Piper (or anyone) said at face value without reading too much into it.

 _Lucky me_ , she thought wryly. It was a refreshing quality, unless of course it led to Blue’s rape and dismemberment at the hands of some creepy traveling merchant.

Piper finished brushing her teeth and changing into her own sleep clothes just as Nat disappeared behind her bedroom door for the night. The doors were a relatively new addition – Piper had never seen much need for their bedrooms to be cordoned off, but Blue had insisted that Nat in particular needed somewhere she could go to really be alone sometimes, and Piper had begrudgingly seen the wisdom in that. She’d lived so long without any real sense of privacy that it actually did end up engendering a liberated feeling in her, once she’d gotten over the initial loneliness of not being able to hear Nat’s breathing as she slept.

Plus, it _was_ only fair. Blue could be a right proper little ninja when she wanted to, but Piper could freely admit that she herself was… well, loud. At least now Natalie didn’t have a ready-made excuse for being too tired to get up in the morning.

Blue was already curled up on the couch, her bare legs blessedly concealed beneath the thick blanket she always slept with, her hair down and fanned out over her pillow in waves. She always slept in a positively ancient, too-big shirt that read “Boston Red Sox,” her panties, and absolutely nothing else. Piper didn’t think she could handle being confronted with those slender legs just now.

“Going to bed?” Blue asked, looking up from her book.

“Yeah. You gonna read for a while?”

“No, I’m too sleepy… was just waiting for you so I could make you turn out the light.” Blue favored her with a tired smile.

Piper flicked the switch on her way up the stairs. Blue had already closed her eyes. “Goodnight, Piper,” she murmured sleepily.

“Goodnight, Blue.”

\------------------------

She jerked awake sharply to a pitch-dark room, wildly disoriented. She’d been dreaming about… mole rats? There had been a mole rat wearing a monocle. What the _fuck_ had made her dream about a mole rat wearing a monocle? Whatever it was, it was fading fast, but she was almost curious enough to try writing down what she could remember. God, that had been _bizarre_. And what had woken her..?

“Piper?” came a plaintive voice, weak and quavering, and all thoughts of her dream immediately vanished.

Blue stood in her doorway hugging her arms to her chest, her bare legs glistening with cold sweat. Her hair was wispy and disheveled, and even in the darkness, Piper could see that her eyes were swimming with tears.

“Come here, Blue,” she said gently, turning down the covers and shifting over. Even in her single bed, it wasn’t exactly a tight fit for the two of them – neither woman was especially bulky, particularly Blue. She slid into bed and into Piper’s waiting arms, burying her face into Piper’s chest and clinging to her like a woman drowning. Piper hugged her close, rubbing a hand along her back in an effort to calm her, but Piper’s gentle touch was enough to bring the smaller woman to quiet sobs. Her shirt was soaked through with sweat and, God, she was _shaking_. Piper knew she’d been having nightmares, especially since Shaun’s death, but this particular one must’ve been a real piece of work.

They lay like this for maybe a quarter hour, Blue crying softly while Piper held her. It was gut-wrenching, seeing the woman she loved in so much pain, but she knew that getting it out helped. Gradually, the wracking sobs subsided and gave way to delicate sniffles, and her trembling body calmed, but she still clung to Piper tightly, as though she were afraid to let go.

“Do you want to talk about it?” Piper asked.

“I… I don’t want to burden you…” she began. “I know barging in like this was burden enough…”

“Blue,” Piper interrupted gently, giving her a little squeeze.

“It was Shaun,” she sobbed. “And Robbie. And my mom and dad. I was in the vault, where Kellogg and those people woke us the first time to take Shaun away, but they weren’t there… They were in the cryo-pods – Robbie, and Mom and Dad, and I was holding Shaun, but Shaun was standing outside, too – older Shaun, the one you knew… H-he kept saying, ‘All of this is your fault. It’s all your fault.’ And when I looked again, they were all dead… Robbie’s head was almost gone, _exploded_ , and Mom and Dad…… and little Shaun, I was holding him, but he was _cold_ …… I looked down at him and he was…… And outside, he was just standing there, _Father,_ and he kept saying it was my fault… God, Piper, it was so _real_ …..”

“Shhh, Blue… it’s okay,” Piper breathed, hugging her close as she started to cry again. “I’m right here. You’re safe. I’m right here.”

She cried again, for a while. All Piper could do was hold her and hope it was enough, but that seemed to be what she needed.

_Everyone needs a good cry sometimes. Even the Woman Out of Time._

“Robbie was a good man,” said Blue suddenly, scrubbing at her eyes. “He was in the army – a First Lieutenant. We met when his last tour had just ended, on the night I finished my last exam at CIT. We were both drunk, and high on life, and one thing led to another, and I got pregnant. He could’ve reenlisted, to get away from me and the baby, but he didn’t. He stayed, and we spent time getting to know each other, and decided to get married and raise Shaun together.

“It was all sort of impulsive, as I’m sure you can imagine… When I first found out I was pregnant, I kind of… panicked. It was all my worst fears rolled into one – getting tied down to someone I barely knew, being loaded up with a whole world of responsibility I didn’t want… I was twenty-seven years old. I had so many hopes and dreams coming out of school; I wanted to change the world, and having a child felt like it would ruin everything, but when I came out of that first ultrasound, seeing his little heartbeat… It changed something in me, you know? It was like… in that moment, looking at that tiny little life growing inside of me… he became the only thing that really mattered. Everything else seemed kind of silly and… _small_ , in comparison.”

“I understand,” said Piper, thinking of Nat. It wasn’t exactly the same, but...

“It wasn’t ideal. My career would have to be put on hold. And yeah, maybe I wouldn’t have necessarily chosen to marry Robbie otherwise, but… he was kind, and just, and _good_ , and he was crazy about me, and yeah, maybe we didn’t have a fairytale romance, but we did the best we could. He would’ve been a great father.” She sniffled. “He… he didn’t deserve…”

Piper knew most of this already, the gumshoe in her having been able to piece together the bits and pieces from all the little accidental tidbits Blue would drop every now and again, but even after two years, this was the first time Blue had ever really talked at length about her husband. Selfishly, that had been perfectly fine with Piper, especially once her own feelings for Blue had begun to manifest and the thought of anyone else being close to her, or _touching_ her, filled Piper with a mad and embarrassing sense of jealousy. But Blue _needed_ to be able to work through all this, needed to be able to trust _someone_ , and Piper was desperately glad that that person had turned out to be her.

“I know this is gonna sound horribly cliché, and I’m sorry in advance for that, but you can’t keep blaming yourself, Blue.”

“I should’ve been the one holding Shaun. If I had been, then Robbie would still be…”

“That’s just the way it happened. Of course Robbie didn’t deserve that, but don’t you dare say that you deserved it any more than he did. Don’t you dare, Blue. It wasn’t fair. _None_ of the horrible things you’ve had to endure have been fair, not in the slightest. But it was not – repeat, _not_ – your fault.”

“…. I… I…”

“You don’t have to say anything else,” Piper assured her. “Just try to relax. But you didn’t _do_ this, Blue. Any of it. You said it yourself – you wanted more than anything to be that boy’s mother, and judging by the job you’ve done with Nat, you would’ve been fucking _great_ at it. It’s so unbelievably unfair that you didn’t get the chance… but Shaun _did_ have a life, Evie. By all accounts, it was a good one. He grew up to become his own person, and none of that was under your control. I know it probably doesn’t mean anything to hear me say that… I just hope that someday, you’ll be able to let yourself off the hook. Speaking from experience, the really bad things never stop hurting, but…”

Blue shifted her grip on Piper to be more gentle, settling comfortably against her chest. “It won’t. Stop hurting. I know that, and all I can do is try and live with it. We all have our own personal tragedies, and they shape us, mold us into who we are. Never in my wildest dreams would I have imagined my life would go so topsy-turvy. But now, after all this…” She pulled back and met Piper’s eyes. Piper’s breath caught in her throat.

“Now, I have _you_. I don’t know what I did to ever deserve you, but… thank you, Piper. For always being there, and having the patience to put me back together when I fall apart. I feel like I always _take_ from you so much more than I give… I’m not great with words, but you….. You’re everything. You’re… _home._ ”

‘ _I love you_ ,’ she desperately wanted to say. ‘I love you more than life, and I will personally destroy the next person stupid enough to cause you pain. I wish we could resurrect Kellogg so I could kill him all over again. You hold my heart in your hands and I hope you never ever let it go.’

“Get some sleep, Blue,” she said instead. “We’ll talk more tomorrow. Just try and relax.”

Blue sighed and leaned into her, draping her arms lazily around Piper’s waist, undoubtedly exhausted from so much crying.

_Exhausted enough not to think too closely about what we’re doing right now, clearly… Or maybe she’s…_

_Not the time, Piper._ Definitely _not the time._

Piper pulled her in close and rubbed her back tenderly as she drifted off to sleep, hopefully to much kinder dreams.

_You’re everything too, Blue. Absolutely everything._

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hopefully, the next bit won't end on such an angsty note. My inspiration for this bit was that I thought the idea of Blue being propositioned for sex but not understanding what's going on was hilarious... but Blue's been through a lot. It's only natural that she's got some things she's still having to work through, and I guess it wasn't fair of me to expect her to be all sunshine and daisies. 
> 
> Thanks to everyone who's reading this so far, and special thanks to those who've been kind enough to leave notes! I shall endeavor to keep you all entertained. I hope you won't be disappointed :)


	3. About Last Night

If all her years of honing her craft had taught her one thing, it was the importance of knowing when it’s time to stop.

It had been hours, and the words just weren’t coming. Or rather, the _right_ words weren’t coming. She’d scrapped the whole article and started over twice now, which wasn’t usually her way, but it had been an issue of tone – the first version was too aggressive, the second too conciliatory. Maybe she’d be better off going back to the initial attempt and rewriting with that as a template. She definitely liked that version better; it was more her MO to err on the side of stirring shit up rather than being too passive or wishy-washy.

It was tough, though, because the topic at hand – the citywide ban on ghouls issued by the not-so-dearly departed Mayor McDonough – was one that Piper felt acutely passionate about, but it was also an issue about which she knew the city’s population to be deeply divided. Even though this particular piece was an editorial and not hard reporting, she knew she still needed to find a way to stick mostly to the facts and keep the righteous indignation to a minimum. The problem, as Blue had annoyingly ( _albeit rightly,_ Piper could begrudgingly admit) pointed out, was that Piper tended to get overly engaged and sanctimonious when writing about her pet issues, and people on the _other side_ of said issues didn’t appreciate being browbeaten with _her_ opinions and berated for the stupidity of their own.

‘I’m not saying you’re not right,’ Blue had said. ‘You know that I agree with you. But you’re trying to convince people of your point of view, not just shame them and make them feel bad about themselves. If you’re gonna wade into this, you have to start with baby steps. Just try to get people talking, first.’

It was uncharacteristically good advice on community relations, especially coming from little miss clueless, and Piper was doing her best to follow it, but it was fundamentally against her nature to tiptoe around calling out bigotry and stupidity wherever she saw it. She’d heard all the standard fear-mongering about ferals a million-billion times and phrased as many different ways, and it was all just as stupid now as it was the first time she’d heard any of it. As if anyone with half a brain couldn’t tell feral ghouls from non-ferals immediately upon meeting them. Ordinary ghouls were much rarer, true, but they were no different from regular people in any of the ways that matter, and the idea that letting them back into the city would somehow result in ferals infiltrating the place in disguise was as hilarious as it was wildly implausible. Mostly, the _other side_ of the issue was just Upper Standers not wanting to have to look at faces that made their delicate little stomachs feel unsettled. It made Piper’s blood boil.

She knew, then, that when the part of her brain responsible for producing such turns of phrase as “that quintessential Upper Stands narcissism” started to win out and actually force stuff like that into her writing, it was past time to take a break. She stood up, stretched, and slipped back into her shoes – with any luck, Blue and Nicky would still be struggling with that ice machine, and that spectacle should at least be good for a fun distraction.

The sun was much lower in the sky than she was expecting when she walked outside, but the late August heat was still oppressive, bordering on unbearable. Winter couldn’t come soon enough, in her estimation. Even in this heat, though (or maybe because of it, actually), there was a small crowd of mostly children gathered around the marketplace, buzzing with the excitement over the prospect of an actual, real-life, working ice machine.

It was a bulky thing, maybe two-thirds the size of the old pre-war dumpsters. They’d backed it up against the rear side of Power Noodles, as that seemed as good a place for it as any, and Takahashi clearly didn’t mind. Nat stood at the fore of the gathering, as if she were standing guard, and Nick Valentine was sitting cross-legged on the ground with a tangled mess of wiring and a pair of wire cutters, working on some complicated task of electrical engineering, no doubt. It took her a few moments to locate Blue, until she successfully followed the path of Nick’s wires to the pair of black sneakers sticking out from behind the machine.

“Okay!” came Blue’s excited voice. “Try it now, Nick!”

The old synth reached over and flipped a heavy metal switch on the contraption’s front. Almost instantly, it produced an alarming crackling sound, followed by an even more alarming _pop!_ A cloud of acrid smoke billowed out from underneath.

“Oh! No! Abort! Turn it off!” Blue coughed.

“Are you on fire?” Natalie asked, sounding almost excited.

“Nah, just… mildly electrocuted,” Blue replied, shifting out from behind the machine. She was wearing a pair of slightly-oversized carpenter pants and her face was covered in what looked like a full layer of dirt, complemented by a great big black grease stain on her cheek. It was... weirdly sexy, actually.

“That looked ominous,” Piper observed.

“No, it’s actually good news!” Blue declared. Nat handed her a clean-ish rag and her glasses, and she set to giving her face a good wipe. When she’d finished, the grease stain was mostly still there. “Now we know for sure the problem is in the wiring, and that’s fixable. I’ll take it apart tomorrow morning and replace whichever wire turns out to be the troublemaker. You’re off the hook, Nick.”

“It’s no trouble at all, kiddo,” said Nick, setting his old hat back on his head. “Truth be told, I’m happy to get back to my old handyman roots once in a while. It’s a welcome change of pace from the daily grind.”

“Ellie holding down the fort?” Piper asked.

“Oh, no, she’s out and about somewhere,” said Nick. “She’s been helping young Nat keep all the rubber-neckers away from the merchandise.”

“I’m still waiting for my contract!” demanded Sheng Kawolski. “You’ll be making ice out of _my_ water, lady! This is a post-capitalist society!”

“I’ll have my lawyer call your lawyer,” Blue quipped back, grinning. “I swear, of all possible complications, I’d have to say that being flimflammed by the Baron of the Water Cartel was one I hadn’t considered.”

“Mr. Zwicky says water is a public utility,” said Nat, frowning. “He says Sheng is just ‘profiteering.’”

“Little bugger’s got some nerve coming after you, considering all the clothes and food you’ve brought him,” Piper pointed out

Blue had gone out of her way countless times to try and mother the kid, despite the fact that Piper had never met anyone in her life who seemed to need it less than Sheng Kawolski. She remembered how upset Blue had been when she’d discovered that there was a kid barely a year older than Nat in charge of maintaining the city’s water supply, with no parents anywhere to speak of. But like most Commonwealth orphans, Sheng was forged out of pure steel, as Blue had quickly learned. Hadn’t stopped her from trying, though.

“Those were all legitimate business transactions,” Blue replied with a wink. “A man’s got a reputation to uphold, after all.”

“Yeah, a reputation for being a jerk,” said Nat, glaring at Sheng across in rank disapproval.

“Is that any way to speak to your future husband?” Sheng demanded.

Nat snatched up the nearest item at hand, a dirty rag, and threw it at him, hard. “Oh, _gross_! Get out of here before I throw something that’ll _hurt_!”

“ _Fine_! Contract, though, Blue! In writing! Kawolski, that’s K-A-W-O—

He turned tail and fled when Nat picked up an adjustable wrench and brandished it at him with palpable menace. Piper had to laugh. That kid was the only other person besides herself that called Evie ‘Blue,’ and for some reason it drove Nat nuts.

“ _Ugh_ , I _hate_ him, he’s so annoying,” Nat moaned. “Next time I see his stupid face, I really am gonna throw the wrench. It’ll crack his stupid bald head right open.”

“Now, Natalie… _is_ that any way to speak to your future husband?” Piper jibed.

“Listen, lady, I can get you, too. I’ve got a good arm.”

“You could do worse, Nat,” Blue teased with a smile. “At least you know you’d never get ripped off. He’s a shark, that one.”

“NOT YOU TOO!” Nat whined. “You guys are the _worst_. I’m going home. At least Spacebot will be nice to me.”

“Clean your room!” Piper called after her. “And no more cornbread, we’re eating real food tonight!”

“Cornbread _is_ real food!”

“You know what I meant!”

“Have you eaten any of yours, kid?” Nick asked Blue. “Ellie was pretty darn insistent…”

“Hasn’t touched it,” Piper answered for her. “And I wish Ellie good luck in trying to get her to eat. I’ve been trying for years. I swear sometimes she just _forgets_ to.”

“I ate some last night,” Blue replied indignantly. “It’s not like I’m unhealthy! I’ve been doing better.”

“You have,” Piper relented, content to let the matter rest. Blue was still a bit thin, but she at least looked quite a bit healthier than she had while Shaun had been missing. For the first six months Piper had known her, her health had declined noticeably, what with all her anxiety over Shaun and everything else. At least now she had a _few_ curves to her. Not to mention a distinctly… _shapely_ posterior.

Still, it was impossible to lay all of Blue’s weirdness at the feet of just anxiety. Piper had never known anyone else in her life who could actually _forget to eat_ , as if it were something you had to actively _remember_ to do. Most people had this physiological response called ‘hunger,’ and insofar as she knew, it was supposed to be involuntary. Blue treated the concept of hunger like a gentle suggestion rather than a biological imperative.

“I’m actually _thirsty_ now, though. Quick beer before dinner?” Blue asked. “Also, I’m definitely gonna have to shower before we go home. I don’t want to get dirt and grease all over the house. Vadim won’t care if I’m dirty, though. That place is already disgusting.”

“I’m game,” Piper agreed. It still made Piper’s skin prickle with pleasure to hear Blue refer to Publick Occurrences as ‘home.’ “Nicky?”

“Sure, why not,” Nick nodded.

“Go grab Ellie and meet us. We’ll get a table. Or hopefully the couches, at this hour,” said Blue.

The usual Dugout crowd hadn’t quite arrived yet with it being only late afternoon, so they did indeed have the place to themselves. Vadim and Scarlett were playing checkers at the bar when they walked in. She didn’t see Yefim; he was probably in the back, poring over the bookkeeping and grousing to himself over the fact that Vadim was busy goofing off with their only other employee.

“Ah, hello there!” Vadim bellowed, as loud and boundlessly cheerful as ever. “What a magnificent afternoon it is! Even better for the presence of two of Diamond City’s loveliest ladies, yes? What will it be, my friends?”

“Four beers, if you don’t mind, Vadim!” called Blue cheerfully, sitting down on one of the couches. Piper plopped down next to her. “We’ll have two more joining us. Can you start me a tab? My caps are at home; I’ll have to bring some by later.”

“You know you do not pay here,” Vadim waved a hand in dismissal. “Piper, though, I will charge.”

“You don’t have to say that every time,” Piper groused. “I’ve never _not_ paid you, you know.”

“No, _I’m_ paying!” Blue declared. “This was my idea, after all…..” She trailed off, suddenly looking pensive and serious. “Ohh, and, um… Vadim? Thank you, for last night… for looking out for me.”

Vadim looked confused for a moment, but his face quickly darkened in recognition. “Do not talk to me about that man,” Vadim growled. “Anything for you, my fiery-haired beauty, you know this. But I have seen that filthy man try that trick here before, and should have done something then – kicking that one out was no hardship. Long may he carry my boot print on his backside!”

“You actually kicked his ass? Like, literally?” Piper snickered, rolling her eyes at ‘fiery-haired beauty.’

“He did,” said Scarlett, eyes glittering with mirth. “Two Security guys were hauling him out, one under each arm, when Vadim ran up and kicked the you-know-what out of him. I saw it. The guy tried to fight back, but they were holding him, so he couldn’t do anything.”

“Not so tough without his mercenary guards to protect him,” said Vadim. “He had nice pistol, though. Hawthorne, he means to sell it in Goodneighbor. Make some good caps.”

“We threw him out of town, stole his gun, and literally kicked him in the ass,” Blue mused, looking a little concerned. “You don’t think he’ll try to get revenge?”

Vadim guffawed. “ _That_ one? I know his type, don’t you worry. He will never come back here. Who is badder man than Vadim? Nobody.”

“It’ll be alright, Blue,” Piper assured her. “Security will handle it – that’s their job. They deal with way scarier stuff than creeps like that guy.”

“I guess,” Blue replied, noncommittal.

“I am thinking you will be joined by our Mr. Valentine and the beautiful Miss Perkins?” Vadim asked.

Blue nodded. Scarlett set their beers down on the table. “I don’t understand why Mr. Valentine drinks,” the waitress said. “Is that… rude to ask? I’m just curious. Can he even taste it?”

“He actually has it a bit better than we do, if you can believe it,” said Blue, popping off the cap of her beer and taking a big, thirsty gulp. “’Scuse me. Anyway, he doesn’t _drink_ it, not really – just sips. He has synthetic nerve endings that function like our taste buds, but they work in tandem with his memories, dating all the way back to the pre-war stuff he’s got filed away. When the beer hits his tongue, his brain instantaneously cycles through every memory he’s got of tasting beer, and just picks one. So sometimes, when Nick drinks a beer here at the Dugout, his brain might tell him it’s the best pre-war brew he’s ever tasted!”

“…Wow. I’m… actually kind of jealous,” said Scarlett.

“HA!” Vadim barked. “Maybe for the Gwinnett swill, yes, this is true. But there is no such ‘pre-war brew’ better than Bobrov’s Best Moonshine! Is that not so, Yefim?”

Yefim’s response from the other room was mostly inaudible, but Piper definitely caught the phrase ‘inside voice’ in there somewhere.

“He seems busy,” said Blue.

“Bah, Yefim is always busy. So _responsible_ , such a _gentleman_. But I was Mother’s favorite, hahaha… Oh, but here is the man himself! Warmest welcome to our dear Mr. Valentine! And Miss Perkins, you look radiant today!”

“Cut the crap, Vadim,” said Ellie, but she did not look displeased. Ellie Perkins always looked nice, though – she was always immaculately dressed, with every hair in place, like a proper professional. Piper liked Ellie a lot. She was smart, no-nonsense, and an extremely loyal friend. Her carefully maintained appearance served as a good contrast to Nick, who always looked like death warmed over, even after the repairs Blue had performed on all the holes in his chassis. The two of them took their seats on the couch opposite Piper and Evie.

“I call them as I see them, that is the expression, yes?” Vadim laughed. “But come, Scarlett! I am winning – we must finish our game before the drunks come, or before Yefim takes game board away. Let this be lesson to you: _no one_ beats Vadim Bobrov seven times in a row!”

“So how come you’re the only one who looks dirty?” Ellie asked, nodding in Blue’s direction. “Did Nick make you do all the work??”

“Hard for me to get any dirtier than I already am,” Nick replied, “seeing as showers aren’t much of an option for an old bucket of bolts like me. I try not to get myself wet if I can avoid it.”

“Plus he doesn’t stink like we do,” said Blue.

“Speak for yourself,” said Piper.

Blue smiled at her. “Right, I forgot. You always smell like lavender and sunshine.”

“Did you have any luck, though?” Ellie asked. “I won’t pretend I’m not excited. Having ice in the middle of summer might be the most amazing thing I’ve ever heard.”

“I’m ninety-nine percent certain I can get it working by tomorrow afternoon,” said Blue, taking another big gulp of her beer. “I’m gonna have to take it apart to do what I need to do to fix it, but we tested everything else today and it’s in amazingly good condition. Once I replace the bad wires and we run a few cycles of water through it to clean the pipes, it’ll be good as new. Well, almost. But good enough!”

“Ice cold lemonade.” Ellie sighed happily. “What a day that will be. I can even have an Irish whiskey, _on the rocks!_ The alcohol-related possibilities _alone_ are nearly endless. Are you sure you’re not an angel, Evie?”

Evie blushed. “Nope… just a STEM major. There used to be a lot of us, way back when.”

“Not many like you, I’ll bet,” Ellie insisted. “But I’ll leave you alone, fun as it is to make you blush. How about you, Piper? What have you been up to?”

“Failing at my job,” Piper sighed. “I spent all day working on an editorial, only to end up scrapping the whole damn thing twice.”

“An editorial, eh?” Nick inquired. “What’s the topic this time, kiddo?”

“McDonough’s stupid ghoul ban,” Piper answered. “I’m sick to death of it, and the next item on my agenda is getting rid of it for good.”

“Good on you!” said Ellie. “When do we march?”

“That’s kind of the problem,” Piper explained. “I don’t need to convince _you_. The people I do need to convince aren’t going to be receptive, though, and protesting publically would just make it worse. Not that I particularly mind getting thrown in jail for the hundredth time, but I want to actually accomplish something. Maybe it’ll come to that, eventually, but for now… Blue has convinced me that I’d be better served by a delicate approach.”

“Wise words.” Nick smiled.

“So you agree?” Piper inquired.

Nick took a moment to think before responding. “It’s never going to be easy to convince people of something that, deep in their hearts, they really don’t _want_ to believe. It’s easier for people to believe that all ghouls are some kind of nasty and horrible _other_ – easy, and convenient, too. Some people just seem to get their rocks off on feeling like they’re _better_ than someone else. Not to mention that ghouls and synths make easy bogeymen, since for every ghoul who’s just a decent person trying to get by, there are a hundred mindless ferals out there who’ll tear you limb from limb as soon as look at you.

“All that being said, though… it’s a fight worth fighting,” Nick finished. “And I admire you for fighting it. It definitely won’t win you many friends in high places around here.”

“Who needs those sorts of friends, anyway? She’s already got us!” Blue exclaimed, throwing a lithe arm around Piper’s shoulders and giving her a squeeze. Piper’s stomach filled with butterflies. The sympathetic smile Ellie flashed her was a little too knowing, too. Was she being that obvious??

“But hey, Nick,” Blue interjected. “Quid pro quo. You helped me a bunch today, so it’s only fair. What’s our next case looking like? I’m ready to break out the old Silver Shroud uniform again.”

Piper let out an involuntary groan. “You promised you weren’t going to do that anymore. The thing doesn’t even _fit_ you!”

“A technicality! Justice is not constrained by minor wardrobe-related inconveniences!” Blue declared, in that ridiculous Silver Shroud voice.

“That uniform was made for a man at least six feet tall. You’re barely over five feet with shoes on! You look like a child being slowly digested by her dad’s bathrobe.”

“Oh fine, I won’t wear the costume. I swear, you’re the worst Mistress of Mystery ever,” said Blue, sticking out her tongue exactly the way Nat would. “More like… Mistress of _Misery._ Okay, sorry, that was bad. But seriously, Nick – anything on the docket?”

“Got a cold case I’ve been meaning for you to take a look at, sure. Nothing urgent, as the victim of this particular crime has long since passed on, but it should be right up your alley – complicated, convoluted, and almost certainly unsolvable.”

“That’s what I like to hear!” said Blue happily. “I’ll meet you when I finish up with the wiring on that monster outside, yeah? Shouldn’t be any later than noon.”

“Unless you get electrocuted,” Piper pointed out.

“Unless I get electrocuted,” Blue agreed. “In which case, please cremate me and cry at my funeral. But not too much – just enough to lend the ceremony a little gravity. After that, I want you all to have a party. With cake. And put my ashes in an urn on top of the machine that killed me.”

“One beer and you’re already being morbid,” Piper rolled her eyes.

Ellie downed her own beer with a final chug and pushed herself to her feet. “Well, that’ll have to be it for me. I promised Becky Fallon I’d meet with her early tomorrow morning to talk about Charlie, and I’ve got laundry to do before I can call it a night.”

“That’s an even colder case than the one I had in mind, Ellie,” said Nick gently. “I know it seems harsh, but without any new leads, there’s just nothing more I can do. I’ve run down every thread I could find, no matter how small.”

“Oh, I know,” Ellie replied, giving Nick a reassuring pat on the shoulder. “I think she knows, too, but it helps her to talk about it, sometimes. It’s just easier for her to talk to me if it’s under the umbrella of a business discussion. If that makes any sense.”

“You’re a good woman, Ellie,” said Nick.

“Don’t I know it. Be good, you two,” said Ellie, giving them a quick wave goodbye. “And don’t you forget your 5:00 appointment, Nick. That’s half an hour from now. I won’t be there to buy time for you if you’re late.”

“Yeah, yeah. Guess I’m done, too,” Nick sighed, taking one last sip of his beer. He tipped his hat in salute. “You ladies be good, now.”

“See ya, Valentine,” Piper called after him.

“One more, Scarlett?” Blue asked.

“You got it.”

“Better be careful, Blue. Two’s the upper threshold of your tolerance. I don’t wanna have to carry you out of here,” said Piper.

“Oh, hush. Let me live a little.” Blue smiled. But the atmosphere had changed, Piper noted, with the departure of Ellie and Nick. Something was clearly on her mind.

They sat in companionable silence until Scarlett brought Blue another Gwinnett Stout. Piper watched her surreptitiously, observing her body language – her eyebrow was twitching, and she kept shooting furtive glances Piper’s way, which told Piper she was working up the courage to bring up something that made her feel anxious. Almost certainly something to do with last night, unless she badly missed her guess.  She smiled to herself; Blue was comically easy to read.

“So, Piper…”

“Mm?”

“Um… so, I didn’t exactly apologize yet for last night… so… in the interest of doing that… well, I’m sorry,” Blue stammered, fidgeting uncomfortably. “Like, really really _super_ sorry. I hope I didn’t make you horribly uncomfortable and I totally understand if you’re upset with me…”

Piper gave her what she hoped was a reassuring smile. “Blue… did I seem upset?”

“… No? Maybe? I… you’re not just saying that to avoid hurting my feelings?” the other woman asked.

 _God, she can be so thick_ sometimes.

“I wasn’t upset at all, silly,” Piper assured her gently. “And I’m glad you came upstairs. I really _would_ be upset with you if I thought you were down there suffering like that and didn’t come get me.”

Blue stared, her face the very picture of befuddlement. “So, just so I understand… and please correct me if I’m wrong… but you’re saying that what I did last night, coming upstairs, waking you up, crying and clinging to you like a crazy person… that was _okay_ with you? And _not_ super weird and off-putting? Because my memory of what happened probably isn’t the best, but I _definitely_ remember crying and clinging to you like a crazy person.”

“You can’t just stop being a weirdo, Blue. It’s part of what makes you who you are, and I wouldn’t want you to, anyway. But like I said… no, it wasn’t off-putting. It makes me feel thankful that you feel comfortable enough with me to let me in when you’re in so much pain. I… I _want_ to be that person, for you. More than anything. And if you ever can’t sleep again, you can always come sleep with me…”

Piper felt her cheeks burning.

_Welp, that's an interesting suggestion I just put out there. Are we 100% sure I said that out loud?_

Blue was blushing too, fiercely, and very determinedly looking at her shoes.

_Oooookay, I made it weird. Definitely just made it weird. Nice going, Piper. Really nice._

She braced herself for the inevitable stammered ‘oh, uh, no thank you,’ or whatever _possible_ thing she’d just forced Blue to come up with in response to the insane statement she’d just made, but instead…

“I meant everything I said,” came Blue’s quiet reply. She was still looking at her shoes.

“….hmmm?” Piper squeaked.

“About you. Last night. I’m sorry, I know this is at _least_ one too many of these heavy conversations to put you through over the course of two days, but… What I said last night, about how much I value you… I just don't want you to think I was taking advantage of your kindness and patience, because I really, really meant it. You’re… very special to me. God, we’ve had a lot of these little moments lately, haven’t we?” She smiled a shy little smile and finally met Piper’s eyes, and oh _god_ , she could’ve melted right then.  

A much sweeter response than she'd expected, for  _sure._

“And hey, maybe I’ll take you up on that offer, someday!” Blue continued. “It’ll be winter before too long, after all. And you’re super warm, did you know that? I actually slept really well! Humans have slept close together for thousands of years, for warmth and…other reasons, especially before indoor heating was a thing, and…”

Blue’s eyes widened as what she was saying slowly dawned on her. She coughed awkwardly into her hand and tucked a lock of red hair behind her ear. “…and it feels kind of warm in here actually, don’t you think? Is it warm in here? I think it’s warm in here. I’m going to stop talking.”

Piper almost choked.

 _Okay. She just said that. All that craziness just came out of her mouth. I did_ not _imagine that._

 _It’s just Blue being Blue_ , her rational side argued. _Unfortunate phrasing is practically encoded in her DNA._ _She doesn’t understand social cues, and she’s got all the tact and guile of a newborn baby. She also drank two beers on an empty stomach, which for her, might as well be twelve. You’re setting yourself up for major disappointment if you read too much into it. She’s probably never flirted with anyone in her life! Why would she start now? And if that was flirting, it was_ bizarre _!_

 _Okay, yeah, that's all perfectly true... but she just said she might want to_ sleep _with me! How else am I supposed to interpret that!? And what exactly did you imagine Blue’s flirting_ would _be like? Of_  course _it’d be like getting hit on by an elementary school science book…_

“So, um… think Nat’s okay?” Blue asked, in a small voice.

“I guess she’s probably hungry…” Piper replied carefully.

_Damn it, woman, give me time to think! You can’t just spring that on me out of nowhere! I didn’t have a line prepared for this insane situation!_

“I guess we should go get dinner ready,” Blue offered.

_She's waiting for me to bridge the awkwardness and I've got nothing._

“Blue... We’re okay,” she blurted, her mind a jumbled mess but determined to power on through it. “I mean…  we’ve conquered everything we’ve faced so far, right? Whatever personal demons either of us have to face… we can beat those, too. Can't be worse than the Glowing Sea, yeah? ......I guess what I'm trying to say is... I can deal with any amount of strangeness,  or awkwardness, or whatever label you'd care to apply to this whole conversation, because what we have? You and me? It's... definitely worth that."

It was far from the most eloquent thing to ever come out of her mouth, but in that moment, it was the best she could do.

Fortunately, though, it seemed to be what Blue needed to hear. Her face brightened, and she gave Piper’s hand a quick squeeze.

“You go get dinner going. I’m gonna shower, first. I’ll meet you at home. And, uh…. Yeah.”

And with that, she was gone. Piper watched her walk away and leaned back against the couch, feeling as though she’d just run a marathon.

_That was either the most awkward attempt at congenial small talk in the history of humankind… or maybe, just maybe, she’s a little into you, too?_

Be that as it may, she really, _really_ didn’t want to assume. If it had been literally _anyone_ else, then maybe… but not Blue. Flirting wasn’t nuclear physics, and it wasn’t like Piper had never engaged in it before. You meet someone you like, you drop hints, they drop some of their own, yada yada yada, fun times ensue. But this… this was so much more _complicated._ It wasn’t some rakish, darkly handsome guy making eyes at her across the bar at the Third Rail; it was her best friend, one of the two most important people in her life. If it was going to happen, and that was a great, big _if…_ it needed to be perfect. One of them would have to actually come out and _say_ it. ( _Preferably her. A girl can dream, right?)_ And she also most definitely did _not_ want to think about all the potential ways that things could go wrong if they really did decide to go from best friends to… something else.

Still, though… the thought that after all this time of nursing what felt like the most hopeless case of unrequited love since the time of Shakespeare, Blue might actually feel the same way..? It was tantalizing, intoxicating… Almost like a dream.

And also, not at all something she wanted to be thinking about in the middle of the Dugout Inn right before all the regulars filed in. She would put a pin in this, is what she would do. Put a pin in it, give it a lot of careful thought, maybe have a little _ménage à moi_ in the shower later. Go home, fix dinner, and write mean things about Upper Standers. That’s how an adult would handle this situation, right?

_You’ve got it so, so bad, Piper. God help you. Seriously._

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I'm struggling with the heavy, emotional bits, but hey, I'm still having a lot of fun with this, so I ain't gonna stop :) FYI, I already edited this a couple times within the first few hours after I posted it, because some of what I originally wrote just didn't feel right. Still kinda doesn't, but it's better. Oh well. Sorry though! I'll try not to do that again in the future.
> 
> Thanks for reading!


	4. The Gang's All Here

“This is shite.”

Piper looked over at her companion in annoyance. The woman was reclining on the couch perusing an old issue of _Publick Occurrences_ , for all the world as if she owned the place. She wore that same old brown corset, and her greasy red hair hung in a messy curtain down past her shoulders – either she’d decided to grow it out, or more likely just hadn’t bothered to have it cut. Either way, it had definitely been a while since she’d washed it. Typical Cait.

“Funny, I don’t remember asking you,” Piper retorted.

“Since when d’you have to _ask_ me for help? Isn’t that what friends’re for?” Her ‘friend’ flashed her a cheeky grin.

“How is disparaging a six-month-old article going to help me? And as far as constructive criticism goes, ‘shite’ really doesn’t do a lot for me,” Piper snapped back, turning her attention back to her terminal. “I didn’t even know you could read.”

“Taught meself when I was a girl. Shows what you know,” Cait answered, propping her booted feet up on the coffee table. “But seriously, where is she? You said she was around.”

“She’s with Nick,” Piper explained, for the third time. “Don’t you listen? I told you, they’re going over an old case.”

Cait leaned forward, a sly grin dancing on her lips. “Wanna fool around while we wait for ‘em to finish?”

Piper snorted. “Sure, why not? I’ve always wanted crabs.”

The other woman breathed a wistful sigh. “Been too long since I’ve had a good fuck… one that I was _excited about,_ anyway. I’d much prefer Evie, but I suppose you’ll do. Or the Railroad chap, what’s his name? Deacon? He’s a looker, that one. I always wanted to have another redhead, though. Be a bit like fucking meself –  a bit kinky.”

Piper laughed at that in spite of herself. Cait and Blue both had red hair and green eyes, though Blue’s hair was darker, but that was as far as their limited similarities extended, for _sure_. Cait stood at least a solid four inches taller than Blue, about five-foot-six of taut muscle and scar tissue. Where Evie was beautiful and delicate in appearance, Cait was hard and jagged-edged, like a rusty machete with hair – striking, yes, and certainly attractive, but comparing her to Evie was like comparing apples to… well, something else. A bag of shiny red apples to a baseball bat with nails hammered through it.

Cait was rough around the edges, but she had her reasons. In keeping with her rugged appearance, she had endured a nigh-uncountable number of terrible, heartbreaking ordeals over the course of her life, enough to make Piper marvel at her ability to constantly be so quick with a joke. All the stuff Piper knew about was bad enough, and knowing Cait, she probably didn’t even know the half of what the woman had been through. She’d been a bit like Blue, though – slow to trust, even slower to warm up, but once she felt free to be herself, felt _safe_ , she’d been a totally different person. Now that she was well and truly off the chems, it was like night and day. She seemed to have purpose now. It was honestly inspiring.

_If only she could stop being gross for five whole seconds._

“Come on! Live a little, ya dry shite.” Cait flashed her a nasty grin, clearly determined to make Piper as uncomfortable as she could manage. “Bet it’d make Evie jealous.”

“I… I’m sure I don’t know anything about that,” said Piper, already feeling her cheeks flush.

 _Geez, does_ everyone _know I’m carrying this torch?_ she wondered, with a flush of irritation. Though she supposed it was hardly unexpected that Cait had picked up on it. The three of them – Blue, Cait, and Piper – had been through a lot together over the past couple of years. Ever since Blue and Nick had inadvertently rescued her from what was essentially slavery over at the Combat Zone, and _most_ especially since Blue had helped cure her drug addiction, Cait had taken it upon herself to serve as Blue’s personal, itinerant badass. But despite how annoying she could be, Piper had to admit that she was a very useful person to have around. Piper was a pretty good shot, but when she and Blue travelled alone, they were much more likely to be accosted than whenever Cait was with them. Something about Cait’s appearance clearly gave people pause.

Well, _most_ people. Cait would definitely win if they came to blows, but if the infuriating woman insisted on needling her about Blue, Piper was not above punching her. She was a little less intimidating when you knew she wouldn’t actually use her shotgun on you.

For a wonder, though, Cait gave her a look that was actually a little bit sympathetic. “Ever gonna tell her?”

“Uh… tell her what?” Piper asked lamely, as if she didn’t know the obvious answer to that question.

The other woman scowled at her. “Don’t be daft, Piper, it doesn’t suit you.”

“I… yes? No? Maybe? I don’t know? Can we talk about something else?”

Cait shook her head. “You’re hopeless. But I call dibs if you’re gonna keep being a brahmin’s arse forever.”

“You can’t call ‘dibs’ on a human being,” Piper replied indignantly. “Besides, what do you want with Blue, anyway? There’s a whole world out there full of depraved and debauched people who would be more than happy to soak up whatever radioactive VDs you wanna give them.”

Cait laughed. “Well, she’s a right fine thing, for one. Bangin’ tits, and that smooth, round backside… But mostly, just because it annoys you. Plus I’m bloody sick of watchin’ you make doe eyes at her all the time. She’s way too thick to pick up on that stuff, y’know.”

“I-I’m not... I mean, I don’t…” Piper stammered.

“What, cat got your tongue?” Cait made a disgusted sound. “Man up! Jesus Christ! You’ve got no cause to be so bashful. You’re a reporter, for fuck’s sake! Aren’t you lot supposed to never take ‘no’ for an answer?”

“It’s different when it’s this… _personal_ stuff!” she argued, starting to feel a bit defensive. She knew she didn’t have Cait’s casual self-confidence, her willingness to just say whatever happened to be on her mind, consequences be damned. It definitely would’ve made her life easier. But that obviously wasn’t the _only_ reason she didn’t say anything to Blue. If it had been just that, she might’ve done it by now. Maybe.

“You’re mad. _Barkin_ ’ mad. I’ve half a mind to just tell her, meself. ‘Hey, Evie, this might come as a mite of a shock, but Piper would dearly love to fuck your cute little brains out.’”

“Is this supposed to be _helping_?” Piper growled. “Because it’s not helping.”

“It’d be for your own good. At least then you’d—

She was blessedly interrupted by the door abruptly swinging open. Both of them looked over to catch Blue meandering her way inside, absent-mindedly fiddling with something on her wrist-mounted Pip Boy. Nick must’ve been dictating notes, as that was the main purpose for which Blue employed that ungainly wrist ornament in recent memory.

“You up for a stroll up to Sanctuary?” she asked, completely unaware of Cait’s presence. “I know it’s quite a bit of a walk, but I’ve got a name I wanna have Codsworth try to dig up in the Institute files, assuming I can get him away from his precious shrubs for more than ten minutes – oh, Cait!”

Her face lit up and she gave the other woman a happy little wave. “Wow, what an awesome surprise! It’s been ages! You just missed Nick; he had to go to an appointment with a client over in Goodneighbor. We have to tell him you’re here, though. It’ll be nice to have the full gang back together again!”

‘The full gang.’ At some point, Blue had started to refer to the three of them as ‘the Angels.’ Nick was apparently someone called ‘Bosley.’ Piper still didn’t understand the reference, but Nick and Blue seemed to find it funny.

“Ah, ya know me – can’t keep away from me girls for _too_ long. Shame you two’ve gone so _domestic,_ though. When d’ we get to have another proper adventure?”

“Maybe soon, actually! Although I can’t promise it won’t be boring, by your standards,” Blue replied, sitting next to Cait on the couch and curling her legs up underneath her – sitting further away than she would’ve placed herself from Piper, the latter thought with some juvenile satisfaction.

“One of Valentine’s wild goose chases, I'll wager,” said Cait.

“Something like that,” Blue agreed. “Although you never know. Last time we helped Nicky, you found a dead body, remember?”

“As if dead bodies aren’t a dime a dozen around here,” Cait shrugged. “But that was a grand time. It’s a wonder you still fancy helpin’ him out, after that. Bit brutal, that was.”

 _Doc Crocker’s murder-suicide_ , Piper recalled. She’d seen the bodies – one of the more gruesome scenes she’d ever walked up on, and she’d walked up on plenty. Poor Blue probably had nightmares about that day, too. She’d been there, when Crocker had killed himself, though Piper remembered that Cait had tried to shield her from the worst of the carnage.

_Yet she still volunteers to be Nick’s assistant every chance she gets._

Blue was made of sterner stuff than she might appear, in spite of her soft heart. The Commonwealth would’ve chewed her up and spit her out, otherwise. Still, it would be exceedingly obvious to anyone who knew her that Blue wasn’t drawn to Nick’s line of work by the promise of the macabre; she just loved the puzzles, unraveling the complex web of clues and deciphering the truth. She liked solving problems, especially if there was a possibility of helping reunite someone with an abducted loved one, or providing someone with closure. It was like she’d decided to work a second job, in addition to her primary responsibility of making wholesale quality-of-life improvements to the entire Commonwealth through scientific and technological advancement. You know, little things like that. Oh, and building a bunch of silly robots with Nat, most of which had little to no practical use other than to make Nat laugh.

Piper smiled to herself. Even given the magnitude of everything that Blue had accomplished, and _continued_ to accomplish, she still managed to make being Nicky Valentine’s assistant seem like the most exciting thing in the world. _She makes for a dutiful little helper, I’ll bet. I wonder if Nick ever makes her fetch his coffee._

“So what have you been up to?” Blue demanded. “Like I said, it’s been ages since I’ve seen you.”

“Workin’ for Hancock. You remember Hancock, yeah? Mayor o’ Goodneighbor. Bit ghoulish,” Cait answered. “Started out just lookin’ for mercenary work – girl’s got to eat, y’know. But we… clicked, I s’pose. I was plenty useful, he was plenty decent, so he offered me a more permanent role in his little chicken-shite outfit, and I accepted. Been a fun ride, so far.”

“I hope he doesn’t have you doing anything too dangerous,” said Blue tentatively.

“Fat chance of that, Blue. ’Danger’ is her middle name,” said Piper, in her best Silver Shroud imitation. “That should be your mercenary alias – ‘Lady Caitlin Danger, Scourge of Goodneighbor.’ Ooh, or ‘Mistress of Mayhem.’ That one’s better.”

“I’m not called ‘Caitlin,’ ya wagon. Me arsehole parents spared exactly four letters for me – it’s just ‘Cait’. Not like pretty miss _Moira Evangeline Moss_ over ‘ere. She’s all class, this one.”

“Miss… what? Wait, ‘Moira Evangeline’?” Piper exclaimed, turning to look at Blue. “That’s your full name? And how do I not know your full name, by the way?”

“How do _you_ know that, Cait?” Blue asked quizzically. “No one’s called me ‘Moira’ since grade school.”

Cait flashed them a mirthful smile. “Been meanin’ to spring this gem on you for a while, but I keep forgettin’.” She shifted on the couch so that she could reach into her back pocket to pull out what looked like a truly ancient piece of plastic, which she then passed over to Blue with a snort of laughter. Piper got up from the terminal and walked over, curious to get a closer look. Before she’d even made it halfway, however, Blue burst out laughing, a delightful, musical sound that always brought an automatic smile to Piper’s lips.

“How old were you there? Fourteen goin’ on twelve?” Cait asked, laughing along with her.

“Where on _Earth_ did you find this?” Blue guffawed. Piper leaned over Blue’s shoulder to have a look, who helpfully tilted it toward her so she could have a better look. It was a little plastic card, reading ‘Massachusetts Driver’s License’ across the top. And below, there was a photo of…

“Oh my God, it’s little Blue!” Piper exclaimed. “Where _did_ you get this?”

“On the ground, if you can believe it,” said Cait. “Picked it up off the road last time we were in Sanctuary. It was just layin’ there, bold as you like. As I said, I been meanin’ to show it to ye, but I keep forgettin’ it’s in me pocket. Had quite a laugh when I realized it was you.”

Piper could understand why. I mean, she could certainly tell that it was Blue in the photo, but she looked _incredibly_ young, and about as awkward as any individual Piper had ever seen in her life. Her glasses were gigantic, for one – it almost looked like she was wearing binoculars. They were also noticeably crooked. Her hair was pulled back into an aggressive ponytail that looked way too tight to be remotely comfortable. And dear God, the freckles… On _this_ version, the adult, sophisticated, age-ripened Blue sitting in front of her, the freckles were incredibly sexy. Piper even had a few, herself. But on heavily-bespectacled, gawky teenage Blue… Oof.

“I was sixteen, I think,” said Blue, still giggling. “Oh my goodness, those _glasses,_ I’d forgotten those. But wow, that day… I can remember it like I only just lived it hours ago… I’d barely passed the test by the skin of my teeth. When the observer asked me to turn my headlights to ‘bright,’ I couldn’t figure out how to do it and just kept panicking and spraying the windshield with wiper fluid. I was so nervous, by the time the test was over, I think they must’ve taken pity on me. Plus, the car I was driving had a broken driver’s side window, so the wind blew my hair all over the place. Mom jerked my hair back into a ponytail for that picture. It was so tight, it _hurt._ ”

Her laughter slowly subsided. She was still smiling, but Piper could detect the sadness behind it, now.

“… Sorry,” said Cait, sensing the same thing. “I didn’t think… That was silly o' me, I didn’t mean t’—

“Oh! No, it’s okay!” Blue put on her brightest smile. “I… like to remember the good times. It’s no good just dwelling on what’s lost, you know? I’ll count that as a good memory, even though my mom was royally pissed at me.”

“Why was she mad if you passed your test?” Piper wondered.

“Welllll… I kinda sorta crashed into a mailman on the way home,” Blue cringed. “But it wasn’t totally my fault! I swear his brake lights were out, I didn’t even see him slow down!”

“I really can’t believe they let you drive a car, looking like that,” said Piper, sniggering. “You almost look younger than Nat.”

“Oh, Nat probably would’ve been a much better driver, too,” Blue agreed. “Driving always made me really antsy. That was the first and only license I ever got, anyway. By the time ten years had gone by and it was time to renew it, I just didn’t even bother. I was in school by then, and I could get anywhere I needed to go by walking.”

“And mailmen the world over could rejoice and rest easy,” said Piper.

“Shush, you,” said Blue.

“There’s no way it was a serious accident. I know you, Blue. I can’t even _imagine_ you speeding. That would be breaking a rule, on _purpose._ ”

“I wasn’t,” Blue allowed. “It was a… spatial awareness issue.”

Piper nodded. “Sounds about right.”

“Speakin’ o’ Sanctuary, did I hear you say somethin’ about goin’ up there?” Cait asked.

“Oh, yeah,” Blue replied. “Codsworth is carrying around all the files we were able to salvage from the Institute. I want to see if he can find a name in there, someone who disappeared from the city a long time ago. It’s one of Nick’s cold cases. If the Institute took him, then, well… case closed. You wanna come with us? Or, I guess I should ask both of you, since I shouldn’t just assume that you’re coming along, Piper. That would be rude. Although… you _are_ coming, right?”

“I’d really like that, actually,” said Piper. “It’ll probably do me some good to spend the weekend away from this terminal.”

 _As if I’d let you spend the whole weekend without me_ , Piper thought. When was even the last time they’d spent that many days apart? Neither of them would know what to do with themselves.

“I haven’t seen the old place in months. It’ll be nice to see green again. I reckon that’s worth the trek,” Cait agreed.

“Yay! If you’re both coming, we can bring Nat along, if she wants to come. Since it’s Friday and all. We can make a weekend of it! I’ll go down to the school and wait for her; she should be getting out soon.” She stood up and gave Piper’s arm an affectionate squeeze. “I’ll meet you guys back here in a bit.”

Piper watched her go, absent-mindedly rubbing the spot on her upper arm where Blue’s hand had been.

“What, she won’t let Nat leave the city unless I’m around?” Cait asked.

“We usually don’t take her when it’s just the two of us,” Piper explained. “It _is_ a lot safer now that the Minutemen have taken over Concord, though. They’ve got constant patrols going up and down the main road. I’m sure that between them and _your_ ugly mug, Nat’ll be fine. Raiders have learned to stay away from the main drag, since Preston Garvey and his people have literally killed hundreds of them.”

“Me ‘ugly mug’ has kept your pretty little arse in one piece more than a time or two, don’t you forget. But hey… That little thing she did there,” said Cait, her eyes full of mischief. “Squeezin’ your arm. Hope you didn’t miss that little gesture. Why do you suppose she did that, you reckon?”

She hadn’t missed it at all, but…

“I… don’t know. Just being friendly?”

The other woman snorted derisively. “All right, I’ll say it once more, and then I’ll leave it be: Don’t be daft, Piper. You might get shot in the head by a stray bullet tomorrow, and then where wouldja be? You really wanna die without ever layin’ hands on those tits o’ hers? Seriously. Tell her. Or I swear to the sweet baby Jesus, I will fuck her blind meself. Now,” she continued, ignoring Piper’s agitated sputtering. “Let’s crack on. I wanna try out this ice machine everyone’s been on about. Lemonade sounds grand.”

Piper could come up with no suitable response to any of that, so she settled for simply following her friend out the door and into the marketplace. Despite not being one of the Diamond City natives, Cait knew exactly where she was going – Sheng Kawolski had managed to set up a little beverage stand right next to the ice machine, backed up against Takahashi’s noodle bistro, and Cait made a beeline for it. Geneva had forbidden him from charging for the ice, but that hadn’t stopped the insufferable little weasel from seeking other avenues of turning a profit.

“What’s your poison, lady?” Sheng asked, as Cait walked over and leaned against the back wall of Power Noodles. “You look like a hard liquor kind of gal. Hard liquor for hard livin’, am I right?”

“Lemonade, kid, with a big scoop of ice, too,” she ordered, dropping a few caps on the counter.

“You’re two short,” Sheng demanded. “I charge extra to people who call me ‘kid.’”

“He’s a little chancer, innee?” Cait glanced at Piper and snickered.

“Dunno what that is, exactly, but odds are, I agree,” said Piper. “And you’d better not seriously be selling hard liquor out here, Kawolski.”

“I’m not, keep your hair on,” Sheng snapped with a sullen glower. “They wouldn’t give me a license. And nobody would sell to me. As if I’m not trustworthy! I’m a legi—

“Legitimate businessman, yeah, we know,” Piper interrupted. “Just fix her drink, please, Sheng. I don’t need to hear the whole spiel.”

“Someone’s cranky,” the boy muttered, but he set about to fulfilling Cait’s request.

Blue and Nat appeared right on time, talking animatedly to one another. Nat waved to her and pointed to her bag and then to the house, indicating that she needed to drop off her stuff before joining them.

“Oh, that’s good,” Cait purred, smacking her lips together after savoring a big gulp of her drink. “You’re all right, you bald little fucker.”

“Cait!” Piper scolded.

“What? I’m bein’ nice, here.”

“It’s a free country. She can say ‘fucker’ if she wants,” said Sheng. “You’re all right, too, you paddy cunt.”

Cait cackled, as Piper shook her head in disgust. “I’ve decided I like this one. Can I keep him?”

“Be my guest,” Piper replied, emphatically. “You two apparently deserve each other.”

“Hey, Cait,” Nat called, jogging over to them, full to bursting with excited energy.

Cait ruffled her hair. “Hey yourself, kiddo. Ready for a little adventure?”

“You know it! Evie says we’re going to visit Sanctuary. It takes a whole day to walk that far from here, so we might have to stay at the inn in Concord. They have an inn now, did you know that? It has real beds and everything.”

“If we have to,” Cait griped.

“What’s your problem with the Minutemen, anyway?” Piper demanded. “They’ve done lots of good, you know. We’ve helped them out a lot, Blue especially. Preston wanted to make her a Brigadier General or something.”

“Eh, they’re all right, I suppose,” Cait allowed. “Not so bad as some. Bit too eager to point a gun at me for my liking, though, and most of ‘em are like as not to shoot ye by accident. Plus, anyone thinks it’s a grand idea to give Evie a gun and make her a ‘General’ has more than earned my healthy skepticism, I’d say. Eejits.”

“Hey! I take offense to your… fair and accurate statements, I guess. But I’m not giving up on you, Cait. We’ll make a responsible, civic-minded Commonwealth citizen of you, yet,” said Blue, sidling up next to Piper with a small bag slung over her shoulder, no doubt filled with enough water to last them to Concord, a couple boxes of 10mm ammunition, and their two sidearms. Just in case.

“Hah! Yeah, that’ll be the day,” Cait sneered. “Just paint a big happy American flag on me arse and call me the Queen of the Minutemen.”

Nat giggled. Piper could not have rolled her eyes any further without them popping out the back of her head.

“I radioed Preston,” said Blue, nodding ‘hello’ to the guards as their little caravan processed out of the city gates. “They know we’re coming, so they’ll be watching out for us. And you wouldn’t be the Queen, you’d be the General. Or maybe the President. The original Minutemen would be rolling in their graves to hear themselves associated with a monarchy.”

“Oh _Jaysus_ , spare me the history lesson,” Cait moaned. “Or at least pick somethin’ that any sane person would give one miserable shite about.”

“Evie knows _everything_ ,” said Nat. “I’ll bet she can give you a lesson about anything you want.”

“Yeah, girl, don’t I know it,” Cait muttered, not unkindly. She turned her attention to the guard at the security checkpoint. “You take good care o’ me shotgun, Danny Sullivan?”

“Yes, ma’am,” Danny answered from behind the desk. “Got it right here. I packed you a few extra shells, too. We had some lying around.”

“Good lad,” said Cait.

“’ _Ma’am’_?” Piper repeated incredulously. “Excuse me, did I hear that correctly?”

Danny at least had the grace to look away, a sheepish grimace on his face.

“You’re _scared_ of her,” Piper realized. “Wow, real nice, Danny. I promise she won’t bite.”

“I might, if ye ask nicely,” said Cait.

“…Uhhhh,” said Danny.

“We should probably get moving,” Blue interjected. “Before we lose daylight, or… something. Anyway, thanks, Danny!”

“Any time, ma’am. See, Dr. Moss is ‘ma’am,’ too, Piper,” said Danny, recovering himself. “My mother raised me to be polite and treat everyone with respect.”

“Everyone except me, apparently,” Piper shot back. She hadn’t forgotten how many times the guards had been happy to comply with Mayor McDonough’s demands to keep her locked out of the city. Not that she _precisely_ blamed Danny for just following orders, but it’d be a cold day in hell before she’d pass up a good opportunity to needle him about it. One couldn’t just go against one’s nature. That would be wrong.

This part of the city was still unspeakably filthy, ruined beyond possibility of repair barring the ability to just tear it all down and start over. The area immediately surrounding Diamond City was one of the safest places in the Commonwealth, but it definitely wasn’t pretty to look at.

She often wondered what kind of a surreal experience it must be for Blue to walk these streets – she remembered what they looked like _before_ , after all. That abandoned department store across the street… Blue had probably watched people walk out the front doors with plastic bags full of newly-bought clothes. The mannequins in the windows would’ve been sporting the newest, most fashionable outfits, rather than standing creepily in the empty storefront, stripped, forgotten, and in most cases missing at least one limb. Once, according to Blue, there had been _over half a million people_ living in this city, the idea of which almost literally short circuited Piper’s brain. She just couldn’t imagine it. Boston was a big place, undoubtedly, but _that many people_? How did they all fit without tripping over each other?

Maybe someday, when the city of Boston had finally finished dying its long, slow death, its bones utterly bleached and picked clean… maybe someday, this place would experience its rebirth. Maybe if places like the Institute had actually dedicated themselves to helping and rebuilding instead of fucking _kidnapping_ people, there’d have been more progress made already. Once, Piper would’ve despaired at the very idea of real headway being made to restore some semblance of what normalcy _used_ to be, but now, after seeing how much things had changed in the last couple of years… now, she didn’t know. Maybe it was okay to be a little excited?

“I wish I could’ve seen it, before,” said Nat sadly. “It’s nothing like the pictures in any of the old books we have.”

“Eh, most of the best stuff, the stuff really worth knowin’, doesn’t come from books, anyway,” said Cait.

“I thought you liked to read!” said Nat.

“I like it some,” Cait agreed. “Bit boring, though. Besides, if I got questions about anything I might need a book for, I always just ask Evie.”

“ _Asking_ is no substitute for _learning_ ,” said Blue. “But you should stop selling yourself short. I know you read at least _some_ of those books I gave you. I saw you.”

“What was the one about Grandelf the Tree Man? I liked that one all right. But I think Grandelf died at the end. Or killed Fredo Baggins, I can’t remember.”

Blue gave her a truly baffled look. “….. If you honestly read the entire Lord of the Rings trilogy and somehow came away with the impression that there is such a character as ‘Grandelf the Tree Man’…”

“Well, that was before you helped me with… y’know, me little problem,” said Cait defensively. “Can’t be blamed for not gettin’ every bloody detail right. Those books gave me a lot o’ weird dreams, too. Kept wakin’ up in the middle o’ the night expectin’ to see dwarves and hobbits everywhere. And those talkin’ _trees_ , goin’ round grabbin’ at people! Who’d go and write a thing like that? Must’ve taken him _years_ to come up with all that shite.”

“They’re classics!” said Blue, laughing. “What about _Frankenstein_ , did you read that one? I was sure that’d be right up your alley.”

“Oooh, yeah, the one with the monster made outta people parts? I liked him. Hated that doctor who made him, though. Reminded me of me dad. The evil fucker.”

“Don’t you dare repeat any of this foul language, Natalie,” said Piper.

“What, I can’t talk about the Tree Man?” Nat giggled.

It was a slow journey, but relatively uneventful. Cait didn’t even have to shoot anyone, for which Piper was tremendously thankful. The Minutemen had posted guard stations at regular intervals along the road, along with conducting regular patrols – walking this path was a very different experience from even two short years ago, and it was a very welcome change. They passed Carla’s caravan on the way and Piper made sure to hurry Blue along, as she knew the woman would happily chat with Carla for an hour about interesting salvage and other such Blue-related nonsense.

“She’s got the copper I asked for!” Blue proclaimed, giddy with excitement. “Even more than I hoped! I’ll be able to fix the oven when we get back.”

“Oh, joy,” Piper deadpanned. “Please don’t burn the house down.”

After a sweaty three hour walk, the lights of Concord slowly appeared on the horizon, just as late afternoon began to fade into early evening. Out here, away from the almost omnipresent sound of distant gunfire in the city, it was oddly… tranquil. That was part of the reason Piper never seemed to mind making this trip. It was remarkably therapeutic just to be able to experience _silence_. To just turn your brain off for a while, and just _be._

Looking back, the Boston skyline was quite a spectacle – from this distance, you could almost forget that the city was a blasted ruin. Sometimes, it was too hazy to see the buildings from so far away, but today, under a clear sky…

“You’re looking pensive,” said Blue, walking up beside her. Nat and Cait had walked a bit ahead, chatting about Nat’s social life, from the sound of it. “Penny for your thoughts?”

Piper turned to look at her. She’d taken off her glasses, and her hair was pulled back into a bun. Standing there with her head cocked to the side, hands clasped behind her back, the fiery aura of the setting sun gleaming in her hair… She looked _radiant_ , she looked…

“Everything all right, there?” Blue leaned in, wearing a crooked smile. “Earth to Piper!”

_She’s so beautiful…_

Her heart physically _ached_.

_Cait’s right. If this goes on for much longer I might literally die. Something’s gotta give._

She forced herself to smile. “Just enjoying nature, such as it is.”

Blue smiled back. “Yeah.” She closed her eyes and took a deep breath, spreading her arms wide in a languid stretch. “Sometimes, out here, I can almost forget how much things have changed. At least, until we end up running from mutant bears or something. Funny, I never even _saw_ a bear anywhere around here, before. Now you can hardly shake a stick without smacking one.”

“I was thinking, it’s amazing how different this place is ever since the Minutemen moved in,” said Piper. “It almost feels… safe?”

“As safe as it’s possible to be, under the circumstances,” Blue agreed. “I’m so, so proud of Preston. Aren’t you? I _knew_ he had it in him.”

“He was always a _good_ person. Now, he’s a good person and an _important_ person. In my experience, that’s pretty rare, for those two qualities to be present in the same guy. Most of the people in charge are assholes.”

“That was true even back in my time, I think. The bombs definitely didn’t cause that.”

“Why does that not surprise me?”

“Because you’re clever.”

Piper snorted. “That was a rhetorical question, Blue.”

“I know.”

She looked over at Blue to find her looking at her shoes. An unprompted compliment was hardly unlike her, but was that a touch of scarlet on her cheeks..?

“We should… probably get moving,” said Blue, folding her arms. “Preston will be worried if we don’t make it before dark.”

“Yeah… um, lead the way!” Piper nodded, suddenly annoyed with the artificial-sounding pep in her own voice.

The heart of her frustration, admittedly, was that she didn’t _want_ to ‘get moving.’ There would be lots of people in Concord, and Piper wanted Blue all to herself. Selfish, she knew, but them’s the breaks when you’re besotted.

They walked side by side in companionable silence, both of them lost in thought. She had no real idea what Blue was thinking about, but if her thoughts were anything like Piper’s, she wasn’t envious. It really would be hilarious if that were true. Hilarious and sad. If only there were some way she could know for sure… But that was the rub, the one implacable obstacle she seemed doomed to never overcome, the same wall she’d run into during their conversation yesterday – if Blue _was_ having the same struggle, then oh my God, that’d be too amazing for words, but if not… that particular cat would be impossible to put back in the bag.

In her mind, she could hear Cait’s exasperated voice.

‘ _If you don’t do something, I’ll fuck her blind meself.’_

 _No,_ she resolved. _If anyone is going to fuck Blue blind, it is going to be me. Piper Wright._ I’m _the only blind-fucker around here, goddamn it. The blindest fucker there is._

But... not tonight, at any rate. The newly-refurbished Liberty Hotel only had three inhabitable rooms so far, according to Blue, and given the recent density of the guests passing through Concord, the four of them would more than likely be all crammed into one.

_Oh, God, I forgot how loud Cait snores._

_Maybe Blue and I will have to sleep together._

She _definitely_ blushed then, thinking back to that supremely awkward conversation of the day before. Even having spent at least an hour and a half poring over it in bed last night, she still hadn’t been able to make heads or tails of it.

Even so, she knew _something_ had to give. It had taken her at least a year of riding the lovesick struggle bus to finally reach her breaking point (or probably a year and a half, if she were really being honest), but she was so _tired_ , now. Tired of always reaching this same, horrible impasse, this same feedback loop of circular logic that never went anywhere. Tired of reading volumes into Blue’s every careless word and scrutinizing every little inconsequential bit of body language. Tired of lying awake at night with the urge to touch herself to lurid fantasies involving the person lying asleep on the couch in the next room. It was torture, and she’d very nearly had enough.

Maybe it would fuck up their friendship. That possibility was too heartbreaking and world-shattering to even fathom, but she had to admit it was at least a possibility. Or maybe things would continue more or less as-is, with just a little added awkwardness.

But she couldn’t just fall _out_ of love, and she was unwilling to entertain the prospect of not having Blue in her life at all. Cait was right; what choice did she have, really?

And if it went the way she wanted…

_You’re getting ahead of yourself. What would you even say? ‘Hey, Blue, we need to talk, might wanna sit down for this.’ ‘Hey, Blue, I picked you up some noodles on my way home, and by the way I’m really fucking crazy in love with you.’ ‘Hey, Blue, I hope this doesn’t make things weird, but I’m thinking maybe we should get naked together because I would be incredibly into that and who knows, you might be into it, too!’”_

_Or maybe I’ll just pick the dumbest, most embarrassing possible thing that comes to mind, and just go with it_ , she mused, almost giggling in spite of her relative distress. _That’s what Blue would do without even meaning to._

Before she knew it, however, the newly-built walls of Concord loomed high before them. A heavy gate stood half-open in anticipation of their arrival, flanked by two guard towers on either side, at least twelve feet high. They’d certainly been busy, building up these defenses.

“Hey there, Major General,” called a familiar voice from atop the left side tower.

“Hey yourself, General Garvey,” Blue called back. “But I thought we agreed on ‘Private First Class.’”

“Let’s table that resolution for now,” came Preston’s friendly reply. “Welcome to Concord, ladies.”

_Hope the hotel has a bar. I need a drink._

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This one was really fun to write. Don't worry, I don't plan on having Cait's outsized personality take over this story, but she did provide a fun change of pace, at least for me.
> 
> Also, I promise that at some point there will be an actual story arc. I feel like it's taken me forever just to sort of introduce everyone, so to speak, but I promise that sometime soon, something will actually happen. I've got some ideas kicking around. We'll see if any of them make it into this thing or not, lol. Still trying to kick all the rust off of my writing 'muscles.' It still feels awkward, but hopefully I'm getting better. :)
> 
> Again, many thanks to all who continue to read this, and especially to those who have taken the time to leave me messages. That's very thoughtful of you, and it makes my day each and every time. Thanks again!


	5. The Calm Before

She awoke to the gentle warmth of the early morning sunshine on her cheeks, and for a wonder, Cait wasn’t even snoring. Her bedmate remained fast asleep, though, splayed out on her stomach on the other side of the bed, an arm and a leg dangling over the edge as if she’d passed out drunk. Somehow, Cait even managed to _sleep_ inelegantly.

It was very nice, all things considered – she hadn’t really had any expectations coming in, but this place had definitely exceeded them. The room was on the third floor of the hotel and even had an unbroken window, overlooking Concord’s main drag, the street likely bustling with Minutemen activity at this time of morning. The hardwood floors had been expertly refinished, and the pair of rugs in the bedroom, while admittedly hideous, were plush and clean. The theme of the room seemed to be ‘asymmetry’ – a pair of mismatched beds each had their own mismatched end tables, with a pair of mismatched lamps to boot. It was typical Commonwealth extremely-shabby-chic, but still, the place had had a lot of care and attention put into it. It had been easy to get a good night’s sleep in a room so cozy.

Blue and Nat were both still sleeping soundly, too. The other bed in the room was significantly smaller, so it stood to reason that the two smallest people would take it. Blue had expressed a degree of anxiety over the possibility of waking Nat during the night with one of her nightmares, but judging by how closely the two of them were huddled together, that didn’t seem to have been an issue.

_How’d_ they _get the good blanket?_ she thought, without any real irritation, smiling to herself as she turned to watch the pair of them sleep. Blue slept on her side, with one arm tucked behind her head and the other draped over Nat, who was so thoroughly buried both in the blanket and against Blue’s chest that the back of her brown head was just barely visible. Speaking of that huge blanket, it was probably the most comfortable-looking quilt she’d ever seen in her life – inches-thick, soft, and large enough that it draped over the entire length of the single bed and touched the ground on three sides. Piper couldn’t imagine where Preston’s people had found bed linens so nice. They must’ve picked up quite a haul from somewhere; maybe a vault?

It was rare to catch Blue in an unguarded moment, without her supercharged and hyperactive mind running a mile a minute and her insatiable curiosity drawing her in five different directions at once. Come to think of it, she really couldn’t recall _ever_ seeing Blue asleep. It was a little annoying, honestly – she was always wide awake and bursting with energy by the time Piper, who was decidedly _not_ a morning person, stumbled downstairs like a drugged up mental patient.

Even asleep, Blue looked like she was doing math problems – her forehead was all scrunched up, her full, pink lips quirked up in her very familiar ‘I’m concentrating, processor engaged’ expression. She’d bound her hair in a loose, over-the-shoulder braid for sleep, which was the way she most often wore it, anyway. Long, thin lashes framed her inquisitive eyes, flanked by sun-brown freckles smattered across her forehead and cheeks. The tip of her braid was almost touching her nose, Piper noted; if it shifted even half an inch, she’d probably wake herself up with a sneeze.

_She’s right there, barely an arm’s length away. I could brush her hair away, let her sleep a little while longer. Or…_

She snapped her eyes shut and took a deep breath.

_I am literally watching her sleep. Yeah, Piper, that’s not creepy at_ all. _You are the worst kind of cliché. I bet the most melodramatic teenager to ever walk the Earth had a handwritten poem tucked under her mattress entitled ‘This Exact Situation.’_

Blue sneezed. She and Nat both convulsed bodily, as if they’d been zapped with electricity.

“Ohhhh,” she groaned, clearly disoriented.

“What wuzzat..?” Nat murmured.

“I… I think I… _sneezed?_ ” said Blue, her sleepy green eyes meeting Piper’s own. “Did I imagine that? Did I actually _sneeze_ myself awake??”

“Umm… affirmative, Blue,” said Piper, giggling. “We may have just witnessed history. I honestly didn’t know that was even possible.”

Blue scrubbed her hand over Nat’s head, clearly mortified. “Goodness, I’m so sorry, Natalie… I hope I didn’t sneeze _on_ you.”

“’Sokay,” Nat yawned, rolling over and stretching. “I’ve had worse. One time Piper barfed on me.”

“Oh my God, I _did,_ ” Piper gasped. “I can’t believe you even remember that! You couldn’t have been more than four years old. Probably closer to three, actually.”

“You can’t believe I remember being barfed on?” Nat demanded. “Wouldn’t _you_ remember being barfed on?”

“Fair enough,” Piper laughed.

“I… assume there must be _some_ kind of mitigating circumstances behind this?” Blue prompted, sliding up to rest her back against the headboard.

“It was when I got poisoned. The… second time? I think?” Piper wondered aloud. “It wasn’t like the first time – I don’t think whoever did it was trying to _kill_ me, just make me sick. But I was sitting on the couch eating a bowl of noodles when I started to feel like maaaaaybe I wasn’t quite okay. Nat was playing with a toy fire truck, driving it around on the coffee table. I realized I was gonna throw up, but just as I started to stand up to run for the bathroom, Nat tried to jump up into my lap, and I just kinda… blehhhh.”

“It got in my _eye_ ,” Nat hissed. “And all over my arm. It went down my shirt!”

“I know! Believe me, I cried harder than you did,” Piper recalled. “You actually ended up comforting _me_.”

That was true, all kidding aside. Life had never felt more unfair than in that moment – doubled over, sick as a dog and covered in cold sweat, desperately trying to wipe her own vomit off of a crying four-year-old girl, for whom she’d been forced to adopt the role of mother in addition to big sister. Once she’d managed to get Nat cleaned up, she’d hauled herself into the bathroom and parked herself over the toilet for nearly an hour, vomiting and sobbing in equal measure. When she’d finished, she’d felt a tiny hand patting her on the back.

‘Don’t cry, Piper,’ little Nat had said. ‘Go away, old pain.’

_Go away, old pain._ That was what their father always used to say, whenever Piper was sick or skinned a knee – he’d pat the sore spot gently with a big, calloused hand and scold the pain for daring to bother his little girl. Nat had never really known him, she’d been too young, but Piper had carried on that little ritual with her sister. Just another small way of remembering him.

“It smelled _so_ bad,” said present-day Nat. “It was worse than when that cat died under the house.”

“UUUUUGGGGGHHHHHH,” Cait groaned loudly from across the room.

“Oh, shut up,” said Piper, giving the woman a playful swat. “It’s got to be at least nine in the morning, judging by the light. Besides, it’ll be good to get an early start. The sooner we get going, the sooner we’ll get to Sanctuary.”

“You can try out your Power Armor today!” Blue exclaimed, putting on her glasses and swinging her legs over the side of the bed to start lacing up her ‘Chucks.’ “I forgot to tell you, I finished it last month. It’s all ready and waiting for you.”

“Still not sure I like the idea o’ that thing,” Cait grumbled, sitting up and rubbing her eyes. “Me own arms ‘n’ legs have always been good enough for me.”

“We can paint something vulgar on it,” Blue offered.

Cait’s eyes widened with inspiration as she considered this. “…… well, it’d be rude not to at least try it out.”

Blue clapped her hands excitedly. Piper rolled her eyes.

“I bet you’ll love it,” Blue assured her. “It definitely looks like a lot of fun. I wish I could try it out, but the smallest height setting is still a little too big for me. You should fit, though – it fits Piper.”

“Barely,” said Piper. It _was_ amazing, though. The inner… skeleton-thing, or whatever, could be manually adjusted to fit the size of the occupant within a certain height range, but the outer chassis was at _least_ six-and-a-half feet tall. It had been a little claustrophobic at first, being shut up inside what her panicked brain had assured her was a giant, person-shaped metal casket, but controlling it was actually very intuitive. And the _power_ of the thing… She’d been able to reach down and lift a generator off the ground, like it weighed absolutely nothing. With all that brute strength, standing so high off the ground… She’d felt like a goddess walking the Earth among her puny human subjects. If she’d worn it much longer, someone might’ve gotten stomped on.

Blue had been determined to get Cait to use it because she thought it would protect her, but Piper wasn’t so sure that it wouldn’t have the _opposite_ effect. If anything, Cait would be intoxicated by that same sense of invincibility she’d felt and charge screaming into a building full of Raiders.

“I guess it can’t be that hard, if Piper can do it,” said Cait.

“Oh yeah? Thirty caps says I can do it better than you,” said Piper.

“Oh you’re on, little girl. Gimme an hour an’ I’ll be runnin’ circles around you.” She laughed aloud. “Come to think on it, I _would_ like to see the look on Hancock’s face if I come marchin’ into town wearin’ that fierce thing. Might be worth it just for that.”

Blue opened her mouth to respond when suddenly a tentative knock sounded at the door.

“Miss Evie?” called a muffled voice.

“Oy, what d’ye want, then?” Cait answered gruffly.

“Oh, um, I’m just delivering a message, ma’am,” the voice answered. A nervous-sounding young man, from the sound of it. “We’ve packed a hot breakfast and some extra water for your trip. It’s all in a couple of bags downstairs, waiting for you. General Garvey said to… um… ‘convey his apologies’ for not being here, but he’s leading a deployment and had to leave early.”

“Thank you!” Blue called quickly, intercepting Cait before she could shout back something rude. “Thank you very much for letting us know! We’ll be down soon!”

“A ‘deployment,’” Cait scoffed. “What the fresh hell is that supposed to mean?”

“What, are you disappointed?” Piper smirked, pulling on her boots. “I’ll make sure to let Preston know how sorry you were to miss telling him ‘goodbye.’”

Cait made a dismissive sound. “What, _him_? I’d sooner go to bed with Evie’s robot butler than that one. He’s got the personality of a wet fart. If he could literally bore folks to death, half the Commonwealth would be dead already.”

“He’s handsome, though,” said Nat quietly.

“ _Excuse me?_?” Piper spun around incredulously to face her sister.

“What?” Nat answered, her cheeks flushing scarlet. She planted her hands on her hips in defiance. “I’m allowed to like boys, aren’t I!? I’d way rather marry Preston than stupid Sheng Kawolski!”

“He _is_ handsome,” Blue assured her, demurely covering her mouth to stifle a smile. Piper could have slapped her. It was _way_ too early for this, wasn’t it?? Nat was _not_ allowed to have a crush on Preston fucking Garvey!

“Can we at least wait a few years before I have to worry about… I don’t know, _marrying you off_!?” Piper stammered. “I am _not_ ready to have this conversation!”

“Lighten up, oul dear,” said Cait, grinning from ear to ear. “He’s not bad lookin’, I’ll give you that, but I’ve known livelier corpses than that one. Don’t you worry, though, Nat. When you’re a bit older, you’ll find yourself a nice boy or three, or if you’re anythin’ like your sister, a nice redhe—

“OKAY!” Piper nearly shouted. “I’m hungry. You’re all hungry. It’s time for breakfast. Cait, for God’s sake put your shirt on and let’s go.”

Once Nat combed her hair and Blue fixed her braid, they were ready to go. She glared daggers at Cait as the two of them stood in the hallway waiting, but from the amused looks Cait was giving her in return, the other woman did not give one single shit if she was annoyed or not.

_Okay then. Fine. We’ll see whose breakfast ends up with cigarette butts in it. You’ll learn sooner or later not to bring a knife to a gunfight,_ Caitlin _. I’ll have you know I was BORN childish._

Whoever the hotel’s other guests had been, they were either still sleeping or already gone – the only other person in the hotel’s spacious, red-carpeted lobby was a homely young man of perhaps seventeen with a mop of jet black hair, standing behind the counter. He waved at Blue as they descended the stairs and favored her with a nervous smile.

“Good morning, Miss Evie. Miss Wright. Miss… Cait,” he greeted them, in the voice that Piper immediately recognized as the one who’d knocked on their door earlier. “General Garvey gave me your names – I don’t mean to be presumptuous. But I wanted to say… It’s great to see you again, Miss Evie. You probably don’t remember me…”

Blue’s face practically glowed as she returned his wave. “Andy! Of course I do! You were with us at the Castle! I can’t believe I didn’t recognize your voice. Are you living here now? Is this your hotel?”

His face split open in a delighted smile. “Yeah, that’s me! Bit nicer here than at the old Castle, right? General Garvey relocated me here, as part of the reconstruction effort… And no, the hotel doesn’t belong to me. I just work the counter. General Garvey says most of us should have regular jobs, just like the original Minutemen. He says we’re citizens first and soldiers only in times of need.”

“Sounds like Preston,” Blue grinned. “You said he’d gone? No trouble, I hope?”

“’Fraid so, ma’am,” the boy replied, his expression turning serious. “A pretty nasty Raider gang has moved in up at the old satellite station. The General thinks they’re just scavengers and probably won’t bother the city, but he says we can’t turn a blind eye. He and Lieutenant Morrison took a platoon up this morning to negotiate.”

“Negotiate?” Cait mouthed incredulously. “Who’s thick enough to try and _negotiate_ with Raiders? I can tell you right now what a dog’s breakfast _that’ll_ turn out to be.”

“You’re probably right, Miss Cait… but they don’t _always_ fight,” Andy replied. “Word’s gotten around about what Miss Evie’s robots can do, and we have four of them here in Concord. Sometimes, they just run away. And every once in a while, one of the younger ones will even join us. Lieutenant Morrison himself was one of them, once, and now he’s General Garvey’s right hand man.”

Ah, those robots. Such was Blue’s humble contribution to the Minutemen, and boy, had it been a doozy. When Piper had first met Preston Garvey, he’d been a nearly broken man, haunted by past failures and one ill turn of luck away from giving up on life – and with him gone, the Minutemen would’ve gone, too, faded into a distant and unhappy memory. It was strange, the turns that fortune could take. If Blue hadn’t wandered into Concord that day, maybe Preston and the others would be dead.

But she had. And those old Sentry Bots? The murderous, rampaging robotic fiends capable of wiping out entire towns single-handedly? Blue had found a way to reprogram them, remotely. And give them a few new ‘toys,’ too. ‘Miss Evie’s robots,’ the boy had called them. Somehow, Piper imagined the Raiders had a few more choice words to describe them. Suddenly, the Minutemen weren’t such a bad joke anymore. All it took was an unassuming little pre-war engineer.

“You hear that?” Cait snickered. “They let Raiders join their cult.”

“We’re not a cult,” said Andy, defensively.

“Still, Preston might want to hire a food taster,” said Piper warily. “I’m all for giving people second chances, but Raiders? They’re… a little scary.”

“They’re just people,” Blue argued, crossing her arms. “Maybe some of them joined because they weren’t given a choice. I know, I know, most of them are… uniquely awful, but surely there are some decent ones among them?  People who’ve just made a few mistakes, or fell in with the wrong crowd? I think Preston’s right. We should try to welcome as many people as we can.”

“Y’see this?” Cait shook her head. “ _This_ is why you can’t let her go anywhere by herself. It’s this shite right here.”

“Mostly, I would agree with your friends, Miss Evie,” Andy admitted. “Generally, they’re rough folks. Usually they won’t even talk to us. But that being said, I’d trust Lieutenant Morrison with my life. He’s one of the best of us.”

“Well, you lot have fun with all that,” said Cait, slinging one of the bags of provisions over her shoulder. “Thanks for the supplies, though. We’ll just be right on our way, eh?”

“It was great seeing you again, Miss Evie,” said Andy.

“Oh, you too, Andy! You take care of yourself. Hopefully, we’ll see you again when we come back through!”

“D’you reckon they let that one fight?” Cait asked as they passed out of earshot, out onto the Sanctuary road. “Scrawny little thing like that? Raiders would eat that one raw and make soup outta his bones.”

“He was brave enough to join when he could’ve kept hiding,” said Blue. “Anyway, I like Andy. He helped me rebuild Mervin. He’s good with his hands.”

“Mervin?” Cait asked, confused.

Piper sighed. “One of those Sentry Bots. Blue insists on naming them.”

“Mervin protects the Castle,” Blue explained. “He’s Sarge’s sidekick. Sarge is the old Castle Sentry Bot – he’s the fearless leader. Merv is the strong, sensitive type.”

“He also smells horrible,” said Piper wryly.

“Well, it’s not his fault there were so many Mirelurks there,” Blue retorted. “He was just being a good soldier.”

Cait gave Piper a baffled look, as if to say, ‘Are you hearing this, too?’

Piper shrugged. “She does this. They’re like her children or something. You ever hear the stereotype of the ‘crazy cat lady’? Blue’s a crazy robot lady.”

“Cats are cute too!” Blue declared. “And dogs. That reminds me, Codsworth had better be feeding the dog. If he’s ‘forgotten’ again, I’m gonna screw his eyes on backwards.”

“I’m sure Dogmeat’s fine on his own,” Piper allowed. Ugh, ‘Dogmeat.’ What a name for an animal. She’d wished they’d been able to change it, but it was the only thing he’d answer to.

“It’s the principle of it,” Blue explained. “He doesn’t like Dogmeat using the flower beds to… you know, do his business. So in retaliation, he sometimes ‘forgets’ to feed him. And he knows perfectly well that animal feces is actually an amazing natural fertilizer. He’s just hung up on the _aesthetics_.”

“You guyf wan’ any o’ thif?” Nat managed through a mouthful of food. She was holding a large plastic container filled with grits and jelly.

“Is that summa that instant Vault dweller shite?” Cait asked.

Nat swallowed. “No, it’s fresh! It’s really good.”

“Why’d you put the jelly in the container?” Piper complained.

“… Because that’s where it goes?” Nat stared, nonplussed.

“You eat mutfruit jelly on your grits?” Cait asked.

“….. Do you not?”

“We do now, apparently.” Piper sighed. “For future reference, though, Nat, the jelly goes on the bread. Which is probably in your pack somewhere.”

“I know it goes on bread,” said Nat indignantly. “I’m not an _idiot_. I just thought… why wouldn’t you want it on these, too? They’re nasty without it.”

“What else have you got in there?” Blue asked.

“There’s Brahmin sausage,” said Nat, fumbling around in the pack. “And bread, look, a whole loaf… And… whatever _this_ thing is.”

“I… don’t know _what_ that is, actually,” said Blue, clearly curious. “Some kind of fruitcake, maybe?”

“Well, you can have it, it looks gross,” Nat concluded.

“Sausage! Gimme!” said Cait.

This last leg of the trip was always Piper’s least favorite, because it felt like the road sloped uphill the entire way. It was good exercise, at least – it was a nearly three hour-long walk, and before long, they were all sweating. Nat and Blue talked literally the _whole time_ , about what birds’ nests were made of, what this building was used for, how cars worked and what it was like to ride in them, what ice cream tasted like… Nat never ran out of questions, and Blue never seemed to get tired of answering them. Piper was mostly content just to listen to them talk. Cait, for her part, seemed disappointed that she hadn’t yet been able to shoot anyone.

That last bit was hardly surprising, though. No one with bad intentions came anywhere near Sanctuary anymore, not even so close as the old Red Rocket gas station. Sturges’ machine gun turrets were all well and good, and the walls of Sanctuary were bristling with them, but Blue had also engineered a fusion cell-powered laser defense system capable of burning anyone within two hundred yards of Sanctuary’s walls to a smoldering crisp. The word about _that_ thing had gotten out pretty quickly, and the real genius of it was that, from the outside, you really couldn’t even _see_ it, so short of some kind of well-coordinated air strike, Sanctuary had become functionally impregnable.

“Don’t Raiders even come out this way anymore?” Cait complained, giving voice to her obvious frustration. They’d just passed the old Red Rocket without incident, which pretty much signaled the end of the journey. “I’d dearly love to blow someone’s head off. Just what am I gonna do with all these extra shells?”

“We could make you one of those bullet sash things that hangs over your shoulder,” said Blue. “That way you could at least look stylish while carrying them around. Oh, and a beret! You’d be a fierce Irish soldier girl.”

“At least one of us would look proper intimidating,” said Cait.

Blue laughed. “What, you don’t think I’m scary?”

Cait snickered. “If there’s anyone out there who’d be terrified of ugly t-shirts and stretchy pants, they’re probably cowerin’ in a cave somewhere, hidin’ from their own shadow.”

“Or that horrible, puffy blue jacket,” Piper added. “The one she always wears during the winter that makes her look like a fluffy little raincloud.”

“Hey, that jacket is comfy!” Blue pouted. “You’re just jealous. Both of you.”

“I can hear the river!” Nat called delightedly.

 She was right, Piper realized. Whatever name the river surrounding the town had originally been given was lost to time – even Blue didn’t remember. Now it was just ‘the river,’ but the sounds it produced were no less pleasant for its lack of a proper name. As they crossed the bridge toward the open gates of Sanctuary, Piper found herself sighing contentedly at the thought of curling up in bed and falling asleep to the soothing lullaby of the river outside. This place really was paradise.

“Hiya, ladies,” called Dominic Reyes from atop the wall. A heavyset man of about fifty, Dom had a big, bushy black mustache and one of the most infectious smiles Piper had ever seen. He and his wife and son had been among Sanctuary’s first settlers, after the Minutemen first moved in. They were good people.

“Afternoon, Dom,” Piper called back. “How’s guard duty treating ya?”

“Hot,” he replied. “But I shouldn’t complain. Is that Evie Moss I see?”

“Yes sir!” Evie waved.

“Do me a favor and don’t let Luca know you’re here,” said Dom, referring to his twenty-year-old son. “He’s supposed to be pulling weeds down at the cornfield, and he’ll never get any work done mooning after you.”

Blue’s cheeks flushed. “I’ll… keep that in mind.”

“Where are you keepin’ that set of armor, Evie?” Cait demanded, rubbing her hands together. “I’m gonna paint a great big langer down the front.”

“A what?” Nat asked.

“Don’t ask,” Piper sighed, intimately familiar with Cait’s Irish slang. “You do know there are children living here, Cait? In addition to this one?”

“Ah, relax, oul dear, I’m just havin’ a laugh,” Cait replied. “Never was much of an artist anyway. I’ll try the old monster out later, though. Right now, I got a date with that river. Me legs are all sweaty and stickin’ together.”

“You’re gonna get sick swimming in that,” Piper told her, probably for the hundredth time.

“She shouldn’t,” said Blue. “At least, not in the section where the purification system is running. It’s no more irradiated than the air.”

“Don’t encourage her,” Piper admonished. “And please keep some clothes on, Cait. Children, remember?”

“Can’t hear you,” Cait called, heading off toward the riverbank.

“I’m gonna go say hi to Greta,” said Nat.

“Okay,” Piper agreed. “Just stay inside the walls, okay?”

Blue turned to meet Piper’s eyes. “I kinda want to sit and rest for a bit. How about you?”

“There’s probably a bench on the green we can share,” Piper offered.

“Sounds divine.”

For a wonder, there was actually _no one_ on the green, although Piper guessed they were probably all out working in some form or fashion. It was impossible to survive comfortably _anywhere_ in the Commonwealth without a great deal of hard work, even in a paradise like Sanctuary. There were always seeds to plant, repairs to make, crops to harvest, clothes to mend, animals to feed… It was never-ending.

They sat down on one of the benches directly beneath the tree in the center of the green, shielding them from the sun.

“Didn’t you need to talk to Codsworth?” Piper asked.

Blue took off her glasses and started to clean them on her shirt. “I’ll find him this evening, once it starts to get dark. It’s impossible to get him to leave his precious plants during the day.”

“What would you do if those got broken or scratched?” Piper wondered aloud.

“I… hmmm. I… don’t know? Walk around blind like Mr. Magoo, I suppose. I never thought about that.” Her face brightened. “Or, hey! We could get a leash for Dogmeat and he could guide me around.”

Piper laughed. “Would you really be blind?”

“Near enough,” Blue admitted. “Your face looks blurry, even this close. I can’t see very well at all without them.”

“So the only thing preventing the Commonwealth from losing its premier scientist and engineer is a pair of flimsy, two-hundred-year-old wire-rimmed glasses?”

“Oh, don’t be dramatic,” Blue scolded. “I’m sure we could… I don’t know… We could put an ad in the Publick. ‘Help Wanted: Optometrist.’”

“Oh, that’d never work. There’s only one way to successfully commune with the Brotherhood of Eyes, the shadowy, hidden cabal of eye doctors. They’re an ancient order shrouded in mystery. You have to speak the pass phrase directly into a north wind during a full moon.”

Blue giggled. “And then, what? Leave an offering? Like a co-pay?”

Piper nodded and continued in her spookiest voice. “They only accept ugly blue jackets. It’s their official currency, I’m afraid. You’ll have to burn your offering to Ophthalamus, the God of the All-Seeing Eye.”

“Guess I won’t be getting new glasses, then,” Blue retorted. “I like my jacket and I’m not burning it. You can’t make me.”

“Angering the Great Bespectacled One would be most unwise…”

Blue reached over and gave her a gentle shove, still giggling. Even that small touch was enough to make Piper’s skin tingle with electricity. Best not to dwell on that, just now.

“I’m glad we came.” Piper sighed, leaning back against the bench, content. “This was a good idea.”

“I had a good idea?!” Blue exclaimed in mock incredulity. “Oh my goodness, stop the presses, news lady!”

“You’ve had a few.” Piper smiled. “Here and there. Don’t let it go to your head.”

“I’m glad we got to bring Nat. And Cait! It’s good to see her so relaxed, and happy. I think spending time around Nat is good for her.”

“Wish the opposite were true,” Piper deadpanned. “I’m waiting for the inevitable note home from school informing me that Nat has been suspended until she can remove the words ‘shite’ and ‘feck’ from her vocabulary.”

“You’ve raised her well, you know. She knows well enough not to swear in school.”

Piper shivered. “Ugh, don’t say that. I’m her big sister, not her mother.”

“You’re old enough to be her mother,” Blue teased.

“Oh, _god_ ,” Piper moaned. “Please don’t.”

It was true, technically. Piper had been sixteen when Nat was born. They were actually half-sisters – same father, different mother. Nat’s mother had died in childbirth. She’d been an incredibly sweet woman, and Piper had come to love her at least as much as her father had. She’d cried her eyes out when she died. Her own mother, though…  she was an interesting character, to say the least. Piper honestly didn’t know much about her other than that their father had decided he didn’t want her around at all after Piper was born, and apparently that had suited the woman fine. On the rare occasions when her father had spoken of her mother at all, he’d done so bitterly.

“Speaking of which, you’re twenty-seven next month,” Blue reminded her. “What shall I get you for your birthday?”

“Umm…” Piper stammered, desperately trying to force away the sudden, unbidden image of Blue completely naked and wrapped in a ribbon. “… cake?”

“Oh, that’s right!” Blue exclaimed. “I’ll be able to fix the oven when we get back! Oh, I’m _definitely_ making you a cake. I’m not sure what it’ll taste like, considering the ingredients we’ll have to work with, but there’ll be a lot of love in it, at least.”

Piper wished her heart would stop squirming in her chest every time the word ‘love’ passed Blue’s lips. “I probably won’t be able to return the favor,” she warned. “The odds of me successfully baking a cake are… let’s say _not good_.”

Blue’s birthday actually fell on Halloween, and last year, Piper had given her a big bucket of candy and a decently-preserved copy of a book called _Anna Karenina_ that she had positively fawned over. Blue was easy to get gifts for – _everything_ excited her. This year, though…

“You’ll be thirty,” Piper realized. “The big 3-0. The first step over the hill. God, I keep forgetting you’re so _old_.”

“Shush, you. Respect your elders. And I already know what I want.”

Blue flashed her a devious grin.

“I don’t think I’m going to like this,” said Piper slowly.

“ _When evil walks the streets of Boston…”_

“Nope, nope, nope. Nooooooope!”

“Oh come on!” Blue pouted. “You never dress up for Halloween!”

“That’s not true. Last year I went as a journalist with the patience of a saint.”

Blue chuckled at that. “Yeah, yeah. Poor, browbeaten Piper. The most miserable Mistress of Mystery.”

“Well, you make me this way. You and Nat both. I swear, at this rate I’ll be grey before Christmas.”

The other woman opened her mouth to reply, but something to their left drew her eyes. Piper turned to follow her gaze and found Sturges walking toward them, carrying something small and white in his hand.

“Afternoon, Dr. Moss. Hiya, Piper,” he said by way of greeting. “Sorry to interrupt.”

“You’re not interrupting.” Blue smiled. “And for the thousandth time, Sturges, _please_ just call me Evie.”

“I’ll try,” he replied, as he always did. “Much as I’d like to, I can’t stay and talk, since it’s almost my shift on the wall, but I wanted to give you this. Someone delivered it for you two days ago. Said to make absolutely certain you got it.”

Blue took the object from his hand, which turned out to be a sealed envelope. “A letter…?” She held it up so Piper could see. “Who on Earth would be writing me a letter?”

“More importantly, who knew the Commonwealth had a postal service?” Piper quipped. “Wonders never cease, Blue. Looks like your fan club has a mailing list now.”

“There’s no return address, though I don’t suppose there _would_ be,” Blue mused, turning the envelope over delicately in her fingers. “Who brought it, Sturges? Did you know them? Did they say where it came from?”

“Never saw him before. He didn’t give his name,” Sturges answered. “All he’d say was where it came from: ‘Elysium.’”

The word’s effect was immediate: Blue’s face fell and turned a sickly shade of white. “……… Oh.”

Piper’s fists clenched without thought. _God damn them. They just can’t leave her alone, can they?_

“Everything okay, ma’am? That name mean anything to you?” Sturges asked, his voice full of concern.

Piper gave him her best smile. “Yeah, it’s fine. Just some old friends. Thanks, Sturges.”

“Well… okay, but if you need anything, you let me know,” he replied with a worried frown, nodding to them and going on his way. Piper silently thanked him for letting it go, despite his obvious concern.

“Piper…” Blue started.

“Do you want me to read it first?” Piper interrupted.

“… Yes.”

She held out her hand. “Then hand it over. Let’s see what the Institute has to say.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I'm optimistic that, after this one, all of my self-inflicted pacing issues will have worked themselves out. I'm reasonably happy with how I've done so far, but hopefully it'll be better from here on. This continues to be a really fun outlet for me and I'm enjoying exploring all of the possibilities that such an open-ended universe like this has to offer. Also, next chapter will provide some much-needed backstory concerning what actually happened with Blue and the Institute. I'm looking forward to fleshing all of that out. All of her interactions with the factions of Fallout are kind of different by necessity, since she kinda sucks at fighting and has to earn their trust and contribute in other ways. It's been super fun figuring all that stuff out so far, though. :)
> 
> Thanks again to all of you who are reading (and hopefully enjoying!) what I've written so far. I know this little fanfiction is just the tiniest of tiny corners of the internet, and I'm really humbled by the amount of interest you've all shown and the thoughtfulness of the notes you've left me. It's been a very pleasant surprise, and it's truly a pleasure interacting with all of my kindred spirits! A thousand times, thanks! :)


	6. Better Days

_EM:_

_I apologize for contacting you in this way, but it seemed the most discreet option. I trust this missive finds you in good health._

_We are established. I will not say where, not in writing, but be assured that we are beyond the reach of our ‘mutual acquaintance.’ I ask only that should you have further dealings with them, you reiterate that we have no wish to engage in further hostilities. All of our children who remain with us have done so willingly, and we have taken no steps – and_ will _take no steps – to reclaim those who have chosen another path. I do not expect our mutual acquaintance to accept this assurance, but it is the best I can offer. I will not send away anyone who wishes to aid us, regardless of his or her origin. It is my belief that all should be allowed to exercise their freedom to choose. Surely you can understand that._

_The reason I write to you, however, is to request your support in a more direct way: you are needed. I will not pretend that this will be easy, for any of us, as there will no doubt be bad blood on both sides. However, there is now consensus, among those of us who remain, on the path we hope to take, the role we envision for our organization in the days to come. It is a vision within which I firmly believe you and I can find common ground._

_I do not pretend to know you well, but I understand the reasoning behind the choices you have made. Whether I wish things could have happened differently is immaterial – this is the world we live in, now, and we, like you, are in the unique position of being able to truly make a difference. As such, I do not intend to waste any more time. This journey has been fraught with hardship and loss, but now it falls to us to begin again._

_You set us upon this path. Whether it proves the correct one remains to be seen. But I am not so great a fool, or so willfully proud, as to be unable to recognize you as the brightest and most capable among us, outsider though you are. You are the best of us, and we will need the best if we are to face the challenges confronting us head-on._

_I look forward to sharing all of this with you in person. Our emissary will be in place for the next week – please contact him with your response. We’ll be waiting._

_ML_

“… so?” Blue asked, her arms folded tightly around her midsection.

“They want your help, apparently.” Piper handed her the letter. Blue read it a lot faster than she had.

“They must’ve left the Commonwealth entirely, if she’s claiming to be out of the Railroad’s reach,” Blue mused in a thoughtful voice. “Desdemona will have eyes on them, though. They can’t seriously think the Railroad would just let them disappear…”

“She’s got a lot of nerve, trying to pin this on you,” said Piper, quietly seething. “’You set us upon this path’… Yeah, I’ve got a path I’d like to set them on. They’d all be dead if not for you!”

“That’s not true… Desdemona never would’ve killed everyone… She promised anyone who didn’t want to fight would be allowed to leave unharmed.”

“Still, there’d be a lot more dead if you hadn’t…” Piper hesitated.

“…if I hadn’t been able to talk to Shaun, you mean,” Blue finished, suddenly very intent on staring at the ground.

“Blue…”

“… You know what hurts the most?” She shifted, hugging her knees to her chest. Piper’s heart gave a painful twinge. She looked so small, sitting there curled up like that… so vulnerable.

“I… I have all this grief, this… great big jumble of rage, and pain, and sadness, but… When I think about Shaun… I can’t even tell if I’m actually grieving _him_ , the man who died that day at the Institute… ‘Father’… or if I’m grieving some kind of amalgamation of that man and something that exists purely in my imagination. He was only a baby when I lost him. My baby boy… And then, to see him again, but _twice my age?_ He was my son, but… not…?

She shook her head. “It’s too much… Every time I try to make sense of it, my mind gets all scrambled and I can’t seem to get my thoughts back on track. And there was that… child…”

“The synth that looked like Shaun?” Piper asked gently.

Blue nodded. “Mmhmm… When I first saw him, I thought he… It was _cruel_ , wasn’t it?”

She sniffled. Her eyes were downcast, so Piper couldn’t see her tears, but it broke her heart all the same. She slid over on the bench until their hips touched and wrapped an arm around Blue’s shoulders. It made her feel weirdly _exposed,_ being this close in a public place, but she couldn’t just sit there, helpless, watching Blue cry. Besides, there was no one else around. And Blue definitely seemed to appreciate the gesture, judging by the way she leaned into the contact.

“He knew I’d come… _Father_ … He was watching me. He left him there, the synth Shaun… left him there right in my path, on purpose. Why? To gauge my reaction? Just… morbid curiosity?”

Piper squeezed her tightly. If there were a just God in the universe, Blue would never, ever find out what had happened to that synth child. For that matter, she wished Deacon had never told _her,_ either.

_“He was a prototype or something, not really flesh and blood like the other Gen 3s. He was in three pieces when we found him, must’ve been a grenade or something. Half his head was missing….. Geez, I’m sorry, Piper, I know that’s probably an unnecessary amount of detail. Just… make sure that if she asks: he’s gone. Nothing left.”_

“Deacon said he wasn’t self-aware,” Blue continued, removing her glasses and wiping at her eyes. “He said they found him during the fighting, but he was just some sort of unfinished project. Not a real synth. He said his memory had been wiped and he wasn’t functional…”

“Yeah, he told me the same thing,” Piper agreed, thankful, for once, that Blue always blindly trusted her closest friends and never, _ever_ seemed to suspect them of being less than truthful with her. Maybe Deacon _was_ telling the truth, but…

_It doesn’t matter. It’s kinder, this way. She’s got enough pain to live with – knowing what happened wouldn’t bring him back._

“How do you choose?” Blue asked, sounding absolutely miserable. “He wanted me to join them, to _lead_ them after he… after he died. Given time, they would’ve accepted me. I’m a scientist, too, just like them, you know? And… part of me _wanted_ to. I could’ve changed things. Stopped the kidnappings. Freed the synths. But…”

“You had to protect your friends,” Piper finished for her.

What would she have done, in Blue’s place? On the one hand, she’d been offered the opportunity to lead the Institute, a group of brilliant, capable people that had much more in common with her than anyone in the rest of the Commonwealth, people who were truly her peers… but to do that, she’d have to let the Railroad be destroyed. ‘Father’ had been adamant, and there had been no swaying him – the Railroad were misguided zealots, and they had to be excised.

Once they’d reached that crossroads, the outcome had been predictable. Blue’s conscience would never have allowed her to stand idly by and let the Institute commit wholesale slaughter, especially of people she considered friends. For all his brilliance, Shaun had never really understood Blue at all – the Institute performed a lot of cold calculus, all that ‘ends justify the means’ comic book villain stuff, but Blue just wasn’t wired like that. In her mind, protecting a small number of innocent people _was_ the greater good, and no argument, no matter how well reasoned, would convince her otherwise. She would always do the right thing no matter the cost, and Piper loved her for that.

So she’d warned them. Desdemona had organized a counter-attack, and the Institute as it had existed for the past two centuries had gone up like kindling. Shaun was dead, CIT lay in ruins, and the survivors were cut loose to fend for themselves. Without the means to produce more synths, and with at least half of those synths recovered during the fighting having ‘defected’ to the Railroad, there was little reason to fear letting them go. All of the Coursers had been destroyed – the Railroad ‘heavies’ had seen to that. And the entirety of the Synth Retention Bureau had been killed in the fighting, as well, since none of them had surrendered.

But the Institute hadn’t lost everything. A healthy number of scientists had survived, and with Blue’s assistance (and passionate intercessions on their behalf), they had decided to stay together and try to make something new out of what remained. Piper hoped they would prove themselves worthy of Blue’s trust, though she had her doubts, but Blue seemed to believe in Madison Li, the one they’d chosen to be their new leader. Plus, despite whatever the eggheads believed, Blue was right about the Railroad – they were good at staying hidden, and it’d rain gumdrops before Desdemona let those scientists out of her sight for one hot second. If Madison Li took too long in the bathroom, the leader of the Railroad would probably hear about it.

“He was so angry, at the end,” said Blue, her voice barely above a whisper. “He wouldn’t even speak to me… He… he _hated_ me…”

“Oh, Blue… He couldn’t have hated you,” Piper implored. “He didn’t _know_ you.”

“But he wanted me to lead them, to take his place, he _trusted_ me, and I…”

“He saw what he wanted to see. You never lied to him or misled him. You are who you are – you’re honest, and genuine, and _good_ , and if he didn’t see that, then he just wasn’t looking.”

“I just couldn’t make him understand… I tried so hard,” Blue choked back a sob. “The last thing… the last thing he said to me was ‘Get out of my sight.’ My little boy….”

Piper felt her own eyes misting with tears. There was truly nothing she could say to take that hurt away, and she knew it. It was so unfair. Blue was such a sweet, selfless person, soft-hearted and kind to an absolute fault. What did she ever do to deserve to suffer like this?

She remembered how broken she’d felt when Annalise died – Nat’s mother, who’d loved Piper far more than her own mom had. She remembered the gut-wrenching pain and anguish she’d been consumed with after their father had been killed, that pain that lingered long after the perpetrator of his murder had been brought to justice. But compared to this? Piper had taken some real hard knocks, but at least her own trials had been _normal_ , relatively speaking. It was hard to compare any of that to having to watch your own child die of cancer at twice your own age. It was a testament to Blue’s strength of character that she’d managed to handle it at _all._

She could feel Blue doing her little breathing exercises – in and out, in and out, slowly exhale, the way she always did when she was trying to calm down. Being this close to her, even in this context, was enough to make Piper blush like a horny teenager, an involuntary reaction that was as predictable as it was frustrating, but even still, she’d learned that it was never worth shying away from this physical contact at times like these.

Because Blue needed her. They drew strength from one another. As unlikely as it still seemed, _Piper_ was the person Blue wanted when she was at her lowest, when she needed someone to hold her and tell her everything would be all right. She understood, of course – how could she not? She felt the same way. Piper had her own struggles, worries, and anxieties, just like any other human being on the planet, and Blue was always, _always_ there, to smile reassuringly and reason things out and listen to her talk for hours with an inexhaustible well of patience and genuine concern. It was an incredibly deep and fulfilling connection with another person, something Piper had really never known before.

They just… clicked, the pair of them. They were a _team_. It still felt like a dream, sometimes. Why should she be so lucky?

 “Do you think…” Blue started, her voice shaky and uncertain. “…maybe, if we’d had more time… if I could’ve just talked to him… do you think he could’ve forgiven me?”

“Probably. _I’ve_ never been able to stay mad at you. I can’t imagine he’d have fared any better.”

Blue chuckled softly. It wasn’t much, but at least it was something. “You were mad for two days when I gave myself that rash…”

 “Well, yeah, because you could’ve _died_ ,” Piper scolded. “And I’ll be mad for a lot longer if you ever do anything like that again.”

“I just wanted…”

“Oh, I remember, trust me. A better stimpack formula. I’ve been very supportive of all your little ‘experiments,’ Blue, but using yourself as a medical guinea pig is where I draw the line. Please don’t make me deliver _that_ eulogy. I would be too mad at you to grieve properly.”

She did laugh, then. It sounded phlegm-y and kind of gross, but it was still a very welcome sound. She tilted her head to meet Piper’s eyes. “I’m sorry. I just can’t seem to hold it together, lately…”

“Don’t you dare apologize to me again,” she started.

“I know you don’t mind, but I’m still sorry… I’m trying to work through this, and stay positive, and focus on what’s really important. Lucky for me, you and Nat make that really easy…”

Blue’s eyes really were mesmerizing, an even brighter emerald green than normal through the prism of her tears.

_How does she manage to look so gorgeous even when she’s crying? It’s not fair._

Blue pushed herself up, breaking their little impromptu cuddle session. Piper did her best not to let her disappointment show.

“I’ll go and see them,” she declared, a determined set to her mouth. “I owe Madison that much.”

“You don’t owe them _anything_ ,” Piper argued.

“Yes, I do,” she insisted. “I did what I had to do, and if I had to go back and do it again, I would make the same choice. I know that. But she’s right – it’s because of me that everything changed. And maybe I _can_ help them.”

“Help them do what?”

She scrubbed her eyes with the corner of her shirt. “I don’t know. But despite our differences, this world needs people like them, Piper. Knowledgeable people are the best chance we have to really improve things in a lasting way. I won’t help them do anything that makes me uncomfortable, but I’ve read their active project files. Some of the stuff the Bioscience division was working on, with terraforming and synthetic plant life? We have to continue that. We _have_ to. And remember Dr. Virgil’s serum? He’s close to actually formulating a cure for the FEV!”

“ _They made the FEV_ ,” Piper reminded her. Well, at least she’d managed to go from miserable to excited. Sometimes it was actually a positive, how easily she could be distracted.

“I know that, but imagine if it could be cured! If we can put an end to all the suffering caused by that virus, it’s worth it, no matter what. That’s stuff that I can’t do by myself. I’m not a medical doctor – I wouldn’t even know where to start.”

“It’s not your job to right every wrong in the Commonwealth, you know.”

She smiled. “Well… I can try.”

“At least promise me you won’t stay?”

“I promise,” she replied, immediately and with no hesitation.

That was good enough for Piper, much as this whole idea pained her. She heaved a sigh of resignation. “ _Fine_. I guess we’ll have to leave Nat with Nick and Ellie, then. How far away do you think they are? And how are we supposed to contact them?”

“The radio,” Blue answered. “I set up a two-way that feeds into the radio tower back home. It connects to a receiver at the top of a high-rise apartment complex in Lexington. Madison knows about it; that’s how we planned to remain in contact.”

“She couldn’t have just radioed, then? Why bother with the letter?”

“It wouldn’t exactly be a safe trip,” Blue pointed out. “It’s likely that they sent one of the synths to sneak in there. That’s probably who delivered the letter. Plus… You read it. It was very… circumspect? I doubt she’d have been willing to broadcast all that stuff on an open channel, in case someone were listening in.”

Piper cocked her head. “That’s… uncharacteristically perceptive of you, Blue.”

 “I have my moments.” She smiled and gave Piper’s shoulder a little poke. “Hey, I learned from the best, after all.”

“So when are you planning on contacting them?”

“When we get back to the city, I suppose… Hopefully it won’t be a terribly long trip. I’d hate to leave Nat alone for too long.”

“She’ll be fine. She loves staying with Ellie, because Ellie never makes her eat anything she doesn’t want to,” Piper assured her. But, wait… “You’re not going to try to talk me out of going with you?”

Blue blushed. “Oh… Did you want me to?”

“No. I would’ve just fussed at you,” she admitted. That might’ve been a first, though. Blue hated having people take risks or incur inconveniences on her behalf, and for something like this, Piper would’ve expected at least a token argument. Were they finally past that point?

“Well… we’re a team, right? And I don’t think I could do this without you.”

She grinned. _Yup. We’re a team. Glad we’re on the same page about that, at least._

“Sure you could,” Piper replied. “But… you’ll never have to. That’s one of the perks of being best friends with the meddlesome reporter who’s too much of a busybody to keep her nose out of your business.”

Blue smiled. “I’m fine with having your nose in my business. You can put your nose… wherever.”

“Wherever?” The question escaped her before she could stop it. She felt herself give a little involuntary gasp, as if trying to suck the word back in.

_Welp._

“Oh… um… I mean…” Blue stammered.

“Oy, there anythin’ to eat around here?”

Piper almost heaved a visible sigh of relief.

_Thank you, Cait, you beautiful idiot._

They both turned to look at her. Her hair was dripping wet, and she was wearing a shirt that was far too big for her. Maybe that meant she’d left her other clothes on during her swim, but Piper wasn’t hopeful.

“Sorry to interrupt… whatever the fuck was going on here,” said Cait, eyeing the pair of them with visible curiosity. “But I’m hungry. Ooh, what’s that paper?”

“It’s from Madison Li,” said Blue. “One of the old Institute scientists.”

Cait scoffed. “Wantin’ help from our Evie, then, are they? Gonna tell them straight where they can shove that letter, I hope.”

“Why are you looking at me?” Piper asked.

“’Cause _she_ won’t. Obviously,” said Cait, giving Piper an annoyed look. “What, do I have to do everything meself?”

“Um… Yes, I’m going to tell them. Exactly where they can shove it,” said Blue, trying her cute little best to actually tell a lie. It was pathetic.

“Nice try,” Cait laughed. “Might’ve bought that if I were drunk. And dumber than fuck. So what’s the letter say, anyhow? Shift over, Piper, lemme sit.”

Blue handed her the letter, looking chastened after her failed attempt at deception. Piper couldn’t help but laugh. “Chin up, Blue. It was a good try.”

“What’s ‘Em’?” Cait asked.

Piper stared. “E.M.? As in ‘Evie Moss’? Now who’s ‘dumber than fuck’?”

“Then why not just write that instead? Ya shoulda just blown ‘em all up, Evie, I swear to Christ. All these big goddamned words. Who the fuck says ‘missive’?”

“She probably spent all day writing that letter,” said Piper. “It’s like something from one of those old spy novels. The only things missing are code names.”

“I have a code name!” said Blue. “For the Railroad.”

“Professor,” Piper recalled. “Definitely appropriate.”

Blue did her best to strike a stylish pose. “That’s _Agent_ Professor to you.”

Cait flashed her a warm grin. “All kiddin’ aside, though… are you okay, Evie?”

In spite of her best efforts to be a good sport, Blue’s eyes _were_ still red. Small wonder Cait could tell she’d been crying.

“Yes,” said Blue, reaching over to squeeze Cait’s hand. “I still have my moments, but I’m getting there.”

She met Piper’s eyes and smiled. “I’ve got a lot of help.”

Cait looked over at Piper. “So you couldn’t talk her outta goin’?”

Piper shook her head.

“But _you’re_ goin’ along, yeah?”

Piper snorted. “Is that a serious question?”

“Well, that’s good, then. If Piper couldn’t talk you out of it, Evie, then I know better than to try… But please be careful, if you’re gonna do this. I don’t trust those slimy fuckers, an’ you shouldn’t, either. Maybe Hancock’ll let me tag along, or even bring Fahrenheit, too.” Cait cackled. “That’d be a sight, watchin’ all those know-it-all cunts step lightly around _her_. You two think _I’m_ rough? At least I bathe.”

“I doubt they’d be too keen on letting random mercenaries sniff around their new secret base,” said Piper. “Especially if they smell.”

“Cait’s not a random mercenary,” said Blue defensively.

“Eh, she’s right. They’ll probably make a stink about _her_ comin’ along, too. ‘Specially if you wear that press cap o’ yours, Piper. I don’t wanna make extra trouble for ya, but if you need me, then fuck them and fuck Hancock, too. He’ll understand.” Cait’s visage darkened. “But just you let them know. Any hurt comes to either of you – on the trip, at their fuckin’ _lair_ , or wherever – and I’ll make damn sure they’re sorry.”

“Come on, I got this. Have a little faith!” said Piper. “Not that your uniquely violent form of love isn’t appreciated, though. Have you seen Nat, by the way? She’s probably hungry, too.”

Cait shrugged. “She was with another girl, earlier. They were throwin’ a ball around with that dog.”

That’d be Greta, then, Nat’s little blonde-haired friend. More than once, Piper had considered relocating them here so that Nat could spend more time with her, a girl her own age whose company she seemed to actually enjoy. They’d have to leave the paper behind, though. And Nat’s school. And her future husband, Sheng Kawolski. Probably a non-starter, then.

“Speak o’ the devil,” said Cait.

Nat and Greta were walking toward them across the green with Dogmeat in tow, the latter happily wagging his tail and hopping in circles as Nat pantomimed throwing the ball.

“Have you taught him any tricks, Evie?” Nat asked, throwing the ball as hard as she could down toward the river. Dogmeat took off after it in a dead sprint. “I tried to get him to roll over, but he just stares at me. All he wants to do is throw the ball.”

“I think he just really, really likes to play ‘fetch,’” said Greta. “He’s never gonna do anything else if he sees the ball in your hand.”

“You might be onto something, Greta.” Blue smiled. “He’s definitely a free spirit. If you can _ever_ get him to do anything he doesn’t want to, be sure to let me know.”

“You look sad,” said Nat. “What’s wrong?”

“Nothing’s wrong,” Blue assured her. “Just reliving some sad memories. Part of being a cranky old lady, I guess.”

“Greta said you have pretty hair,” Nat reported. “She wants to braid it for you.”

“ _Natalie!”_ the other girl whined, clearly scandalized.

“Aw, thanks!” said Blue. “I think yours is pretty, too. I would’ve given anything to have straight blonde hair like yours when I was your age.”

“Why?” Greta asked, her mortification momentarily forgotten in the face of curiosity.

“Show her the picture on your driver’s license and she’ll understand,” said Piper.

“Shush, you. And that’s why, Greta. People like Piper used to make fun of me for my red hair and freckles,” Blue explained. “There was a girl in my neighborhood who used to say I was the Antichrist. To be fair, though, I guess I _was_ kind of a weird kid…”

That was almost certainly true. Piper could imagine all the other girls in the neighborhood playing with dolls and having slumber parties while little Blue could be found covered head to toe in dirt and grime, taking apart old machines and putting them back together again. Or perhaps building a robot army with the intent to take over the world.

“Bet you played with the boys,” said Cait, mirroring Piper’s thoughts.

“Umm…. Usually, I played by myself,” said Blue.

“Awww, poor Blue,” Piper lamented, actually feeling a little sad. “No one wanted to play with the little scientist.”

“The little wannabe scientist with red hair, freckles, and giant Nuka-bottle glasses,” Blue corrected, with a self-deprecating smile.

“If it makes you feel any better, I was just as bad,” said Piper. “ _Loads_ of other kids hated my guts, growing up.”

“Yeah, I bet you were a brutal piece o’ work as a child,” Cait mused. “Mouth runnin’ a mile a minute.”

Piper had been far from the biggest or strongest kid in her little home village, but she _had_ been the smartest. And the loudest, by a large margin. Her father had always referred to her as a ‘shit-stirrer,’ growing up – the kind of person who’d intentionally cause trouble just to keep herself entertained, much to his perpetual exasperation. She wondered if he’d be amused to see that this assessment of her character was still true now. At least she’d grown up to be a bit more principled.

“How old were you when you started your first newspaper?” Blue asked, grinning. “Or your first novel, rather. I remember you telling me you wanted write stories when you were younger.”

“Yeah, I wanted to write literature,” Piper agreed. “Big, sweeping allegories with political overtones. My dad loved books. He had quite a few that were undamaged enough to read all the way through, and they were his prized possessions. I wanted to change the world through the power of the written word.”

“Well, hey! You achieved your dreams!” Blue exclaimed.

“Fixin’ the world, one ‘Dear Publick’ at a time,” said Cait.

“I’ll bet _you_ grew up wanting to be a Deathclaw,” Piper sniped back. “Or a feral ghoul.”

“Mostly just wanted to be somewhere else,” said Cait. “But I’d’ve made for the nastiest Deathclaw on the planet, you can just bet. I’d eat you up, pretty girl, bones and all, and all your pretty little teeth, too.”

Nat giggled at that. “If you ate Piper, you’d probably barf. I bet she’d taste disgusting.”

“Bet I’d taste better than you, garbage guts,” Piper rejoined. “You’d taste like grits-and-jelly soup after this morning.”

“Speakin’ o’ food, can’t we eat somethin’?” Cait complained. “I’m dyin’, here.”

The rest of the afternoon passed amiably, if uneventfully. The five of them had sandwiches together on the green, along with Dom Reyes, his wife Olivia, and their son Luca, the latter of who turned absolutely scarlet when Blue sat next to him and couldn’t take another bite of his food the entire time she was there. Piper would’ve laughed at him if she hadn’t felt such a keen sense of empathy for the poor kid. She wasn’t _that_ bad, though. At least she could _talk_ around Blue. And eat. And perform other rudimentary tasks.

“Do you think he was okay?” Blue had asked her, after they’d gone. “He seemed annoyed with me. I was just trying to be friendly; I hope I didn’t upset him. He barely even touched his sandwich!”

Piper could only shake her head.

Nat and Greta spent the day playing with the dog and lording their advanced ages over the other children, all of whom were boys and the oldest of them at least three years Nat’s junior. Cait helped out on the farm until late afternoon, but as was her wont, she eventually sniffed out Sturges’ stash of whiskey as if she could actually smell the stuff like an animal tracking its prey. She then proceeded to get piss drunk within about an hour and spend the rest of the day wobbling around in that set of Power Armor, singing sea shanties at the top of her lungs with an equally tipsy Sturges and Dom, and trampling more than a few of Codsworth’s flowers. She was passed out and snoring on the green by dusk, and Sturges, who’d developed a rather large soft spot for her, was forced to carry her to one of the beds in the guest house. That was Cait, though – take her or leave her, but she was always going to do her own thing.

For their part, Piper and Blue had a relatively quiet time, in comparison. Blue got roped into helping Jun Long fix his radio, which of course she was more than happy to do, and Piper managed to sort of invite herself along in order to escape from Mama Murphy, who was a perfectly lovely person but my _God_ , she would talk and talk and talk forever.

She could’ve left to make herself useful in some other part of town, but every now and then, it was fun to watch Blue tinker. For somebody who could be so accident prone, Blue had remarkably adept fingers; she was like one of the toymaker elves in Santa’s workshop. Piper watched her take the old transistor radio apart into what must’ve been a thousand little pieces, replace _two_ of them, and then somehow put the whole thing back together without a hitch. All done, easy peasy. Before she’d met Blue, Piper would’ve taken one look at that busted thing and thrown it right into a garbage heap, no questions asked, but what was that saying? ‘One man’s trash is another man’s treasure’? It never ceased to fascinate her that even though almost every single solitary thing in the Commonwealth had been _somebody’s_ trash at one time or another, Blue knew how pretty much _all_ of it was supposed to work.

Nat wanted to spend the night at Greta’s, so as darkness fell, Piper found herself alone with Blue in their little shared room at the back of Blue’s laboratory. Piper cracked the window open halfway, so that they could hear the river while they slept. She always got a wonderful night’s sleep whenever they stayed here, with the river outside and Blue’s quiet breathing in the other bed right next to her. She slipped out of her pants and crawled into bed, pointedly not looking over at Blue as she did the same. God, those _legs_. Even as tiny as Blue was, they still seemed to go on _forever._ She could picture it perfectly, the moonlight gleaming on the bare skin of her thighs…

“Hey, Piper?”

She snapped out of her reverie. Blue was in bed with her ratty blanket pulled up to her chest.

“Hmm?”

“What was your dad like? You mentioned him in passing earlier, but you never talk about him.”

“Oh, ummm… my dad?”

_Well, that’s one way to nip the dirty thoughts right in the bud._

“Mmmhmm. Tell me about him. He was really special to you, right? I’ve known you for so long, and I barely know anything about him.”

“… Well, he…” she started, pausing to consider her response. “His name was Charles, but everyone called him Charlie. He was really tall. At least a foot taller than I am. Tall and skinny, with great big awkward hands and feet. I always thought he looked kinda like Abraham Lincoln. He had a deep voice, so deep you could almost feel it in your bones in a quiet room.

She felt herself smile. “He had the best laugh, too. Anytime he’d start, you couldn’t help but laugh right along with him, no matter what kind of horrible mood you were in. I mean, his laugh _itself_ was funny to me. It started out with this strangled-sounding teakettle wheeze, and when he got really tickled, he’d get short of breath and start coughing like a chain smoker.”

Blue returned her smile. “He was a farmer, right?”

“Yep,” Piper affirmed. “Farmer, acclaimed top-shelf-reacher, and all-around Mr. Handy. I never knew someone who loved being outside so much. Of all the people I’ve known in my life, he was one of the best suited to live in this world – the way it is now, I mean, after the war. As long as he could spend the day outside working up a sweat and come home to a good book, he was perfectly happy. It used to drive me nuts. I remember thinking, how can he stand to be so _bored_ all the time?

“He always, _always_ made time for me, though. I was… his whole life, really. I wish… I wish I’d appreciated it more.” She felt the beginnings of a lump forming in her throat, but powered on through. “I mean… I _did_ appreciate it, but I’d get annoyed with him, too, you know? He was so _slow_. Everything he did was so _ponderous_ , so _deliberate_. When I was little, waiting for him to do anything felt like I was waiting for my own death in real time. He would make himself this gross-looking salad for lunch every day, and I swear it took him at least an hour to eat it. No amount of whining and moaning could ever make him hurry, either. He had one speed: presidential.

“But… the thing I remember most about him was just his… presence. The village we lived in was out pretty much in the middle of nowhere, and despite the walls and defenses, it was dangerous. He was in the militia – he knew as well as anyone what was lurking out there in the Commonwealth. All of us did. But when Daddy was around, you just felt… safe. He never let me feel scared, or threatened, or uncertain. I never worried about anything happening to me, or him, or _anyone_ , because being around him, you just _couldn’t_. It’s hard to explain. It wasn’t just me – he had that effect on _everyone_. That’s part of what made it such a horrible shock when he…”

She tried to swallow, but found that it was much harder, now.

Blue’s face fell. “Oh, goodness… I’m sorry, Piper. Me and my big mouth. I was just curious, I should have had sense enough to realize—

“It’s okay, Blue,” Piper assured her, blinking a few tears from her eyes. “Really. I’m glad you asked. You _should_ know about him. It was honestly crazy of me never to share any of this with you before.”

“You don’t have to tell me anything that makes you feel upset…”

“Yes I do, silly,” Piper chuckled. “We’re… close. And I know all about your parents from all the prying questions I’ve asked _you_ , so it’s only fair that you know about mine. He was the most important person in my life for a long, long time, and not a day goes by that I don’t think about him, or remember him in some way. He’d have liked you, you know. You’re a lot like him – he was warm and super genuine, just the same way you are.”

“I wish I could’ve known him,” said Blue, sounding very earnest. “I can picture him perfectly, listening to you describe him. I love listening to you talk – you’d make a great storyteller.”

“That makes… one of you,” Piper stammered. “That’s, uh… that’s a new one. I’ve been told by very reliable sources that my voice is nasal, birdlike, and oppressive.”

 “ _Who_ said that?!” Blue demanded, sounding scandalized.

“Easy, Blue,” Piper teased. “A good journalist _never_ reveals her sources. That’s just basic stuff.”

“Well, _I_ happen to love the sound of your voice,” Blue insisted with a yawn.

“I’m glad _someone_ does. But if you started a fan club for it, you’d definitely be the only member.”

Blue yawned again.

“Getting sleepy?”

“Mmhmm…”

“Well, get some rest. Long day tomorrow. Nat’s gonna be a nightmare – she and Greta will stay up for hours. She’ll complain the whole way home.”

“You’ll wake me if I…”

“You know I will,” Piper assured her. ‘If I have loud and distracting nightmares,’ she meant.

_You’d sleep better in bed with me_ , she thought, her whole body tingling as she remembered the way Blue’s body had felt pressed tightly up against her own. As amazing as that had experience had been, though, it definitely wasn’t worth Blue having horrible nightmares. Hopefully, she would sleep soundly.

_I’ll just be over here, probably having an awkward sex dream about you. Because that’s my life now – awkward sex dreams about my best friend, who’s literally sleeping five feet away from me. Good times._

It wasn’t _so_ bad, though. At least the dreams were nice. _Much_ better than nightmares, at any rate. Although it was at least possible that after having talked so much about her dad, she’d end up dreaming about him, instead.

Hopefully it’d be a good dream. There were lots of good memories to pull from, after all. Curled up in bed and slowly getting sleepy, listening to him read about Alice and the Mad Hatter in his deep, soothing voice… Going on a little ‘camping trip’ out by the farm, laying side by side and listening to the peaceful pitter-patter of the rain on the roof of their canvas tent… Learning to ride the makeshift bicycle he’d built for her, and hearing his delighted, rumbling laughter as she finally succeeded…

Those were happy memories, some of her most cherished. He was gone, yes, and she missed him every day, but nothing could ever spoil those. He really _would_ have loved Blue, too. She could hear him now – ‘You hold onto that one, little bird. Don’t you let her get away.’

She looked over toward the other bed. It was too dark now to make out much more than a misshapen lump, but Blue was breathing the slow, even breaths of restful sleep.

Piper resolved to take her father’s imagined advice to heart.

_Like it or not, Blue, you’re stuck with me_ , she thought with a tired smile.

She drifted off to sleep. And pleasant dreams.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I'm slowly coming to realize that these end notes just make me feel awkward to write and serve no real purpose, lol. Other than this bit: Thank you thank you thank you to everyone who's reading! I'll probably say that after every update, but you definitely deserve that. You guys make writing this more fun than it has any right to be. :)


	7. Tip of the Tongue

Piper stared down at the open bag before her. Shirts. Pants. Socks. Panties. How long would they be gone? A couple changes of clothes would probably be sufficient. Knowing the Institute, they probably had a freaking laundromat already set up. And she and Blue would have to carry food and water for the first leg of the trip, too, so it wouldn’t do to over-encumber herself. Her pistol was still in Blue’s pack, along with plenty of ammunition. When they finally did hit the road, she’d want that thing within easy reach. This would be something of an off-road trip, and there was no telling who, or _what,_ they might run into.

All things considered, though, she was actually pretty excited. Sunshine, the open road, and Blue… what’s not to love? She’d never been on a boat before, either, so that might be fun! Blue had warned her that she might get seasick, which sounded pretty unpleasant, and there was always the possibility that they would get mauled by mutant bears, or eaten by cannibals, or die whatever other sort of horrible deaths the Commonwealth could dream up for them, but hey… Live a little, right?

“She say where you’ll be goin’ yet?” Cait asked. She was lounging on the bed while Piper packed, leafing through one of Nat’s Grognak comics. She’d be heading back up to Goodneighbor today, and loathe as she was to admit it, Piper _would_ actually miss her.

“University Point, to start with,” Piper answered. “Should be at least a full day’s walk. The rest of the trip is by boat, apparently. No idea where we’ll end up, though.”

“I still don’t like this,” said Cait.

“I know,” Piper acknowledged. “But at least she didn’t argue about my coming along. I mean… we _probably_ won’t die. University Point is still a ghost town, according to the Minutemen. And it’s close enough to the Castle for them to keep an eye on it. Once we get close to the coastline, we’ll be in friendly territory. Under the watchful eye of the Minutemen’s finest, and all that.”

 “Still, I hope your shootin’s better than it used to be, for both your sakes.”

 “Hey, I do well enough!” Piper complained. “I've definitely gotten you and _your_  greaseball ass out of a few tight places.”

“If you’re talkin’ about that twitchy bloke with the sword, that doesn’t count. I had ‘im right where I wanted ‘im.”

Piper scoffed. “If by ‘right where you wanted him,’ you mean ‘about to chop you in half with a rusty machete,’ then sure. Silly me for intervening.”

Cait laughed. “Remember that great big fat bloke with the flamethrower? That one, you _did_ save me from. Coulda _kissed_ you after that one, no mistake.”

Piper shuddered at the memory. She really didn’t even want to think about how close they’d come to being dead meat on _that_ particular occasion.

The three of them had been trying to sneak their way around a Raider encampment under cover of darkness. Trying successfully, until Cait had snagged the tip of her boot on a tripwire, and then suddenly it was pandemonium – a cacophony of clattering tin cans had alerted the entire camp to their presence, and five Raiders were suddenly right on top of them before Piper could even draw her gun.

Fortunately, Cait was faster – two of them dropped dead before they even knew what hit them, courtesy of her shotgun, and Blue managed to hit one of the others in the leg, allowing Piper to finish him off as he tumbled to the ground. That left two – a scrawny guy with crazy eyes and a belt full of grenades, and a hulking, Frankenstein’s monster-looking freak of nature wearing a gas mask who had begun spraying about wildly with a flamethrower.

Correctly identifying Cait as the real threat, both of them tried to rush her, and from that moment on, the whole ordeal seemed to unfold in slow motion. Off to her right, Blue had fallen over and was desperately trying to get to her feet. Piper had her own gun leveled at the pair of Raiders, but was too afraid to fire – they were almost right on top of Cait, and from her vantage point, there was too great of a chance she’d end up shooting her friend by mistake. Blue seemed to have reached the same conclusion – she’d finally scrambled to her feet, and she immediately threw herself into the fray in a frantic, harebrained effort to help.

Cait managed to squeeze off a shot before her assailants were on top of her, and it struck true – Grenade Belt Guy’s head exploded in a cloud of bone and brains, and he crumpled to the ground like a ventriloquist’s dummy. It wasn’t enough, though. Piper watched in horror as the colossal fiend, his flame-spouting weapon forgotten on the ground in a fit of rage, let out an earth-shaking howl and lowered his shoulder with the obvious intent to smash into Cait like a sweaty four hundred pound wrecking ball.

Piper’s reaction was pure instinct. In that spilt second, as Cait took a staggering step backward, Piper was given the smallest of windows, and she took it. _Bang._ Right between the eyes, and the fat bastard crumpled to the ground like a beached whale. The three of them had stood in silence for a good ten seconds before Cait had started laughing hysterically.

“What was Evie’s plan, d’you think?” Cait snorted with laughter. “I saw her, just as that fucker hit the ground. She was runnin’ right at him.”

“I really think she would’ve just jumped on his back,” said Piper with a shudder. “And obviously would’ve gotten squashed like a bug, but you can’t reason with her in situations like that. She has no sense of self-preservation whatsoever and it drives me absolutely crazy.”

Cait smiled. “Makes you feel good, though, doesn’ it? Knowin’ you got someone in your life who’d jump on a killer whale’s back to try and save you?”

“I mean… yeah,” Piper allowed. “But that’s just Blue. She can’t help it. And mostly it just stresses me out. One day she’s gonna get herself killed in the dumbest way possible and I’m never gonna be able to forgive her for it.”

“Y’know, part o’ me wants to just say fuck it an’ go with ya. Just in case somethin’ like that happens.” Her lips formed a cheeky grin. “But then… another part wants to give you two some time alone in case… y’know, somethin’ _else_ happens.”

Piper blushed.

_Here we go again._

Admittedly, though, if she were to try and say that she hadn’t had the same thought, she’d be a liar. They’d be cooped up on a boat together, after all.

“Tell her yet?” Cait demanded.

Piper sighed. “When do you imagine I would’ve had the opportunity to do that, since the last time you asked me? You’ve been with us the entire time.”

The other woman cocked her head inquisitively. “Don’t you two sleep in the same room??”

“………point taken.”

“I just hope you know I’m gonna keep botherin’ you about it ‘til you do,” Cait informed her. “That’s what a good friend would do, right? And it’s fun, too!”

“Can we not do this right now?” she begged. “I need to finish packing. And for God’s sake, _please_ stop saying stuff like that in front of Nat. She might still be downstairs, and I don’t want her to think –

“Think what? That she’s gonna have two moms?” Cait snorted. “She’s gonna have t’ get used to the idea sooner or later… Well, definitely ‘later,’ at this rate. Lord Jesus, give us strength…”

“I’m not Nat’s mother...”

“Well, then, two big sisters who bang, if that’s what you’d rather.” Cait shrugged. “That sounds way more fucked to me than the other way, but hey, it’s your life, lovely.”

Piper felt her face scrunch up in a combination of embarrassment and disgust. “That’s not… _Ew!_ How do you manage to make _everything_ sound horrible??!”

“Shut it. This is it, Piper,” Cait pressed on. “I can feel it in me bones. You and her, shut up alone in a tiny ship’s cabin… Maybe you’ll break out the rum, and out come the drunken confessions, and before y’ know it you’re both naked an’ sweaty an’ grindin’ on each other, moanin’ each other’s names…”

“Oh my God, _stop!”_ Piper implored, completely scarlet and glancing nervously toward the stairwell. Fortunately, Nat seemed to have gone elsewhere.

“ _Oh, Blue, yes, just like that,_ ” Cait cried, pitching her voice higher in a horrible falsetto. _“I want you insiiiiide…”_

Piper threw a book at her, hard. Cait caught it easily and gave Piper a playful shove.

“Ooh, I might have t’ go take a shower, now,” she teased, wearing a wicked smile. “Thinkin’ about you two goin’ at it has got me a bit damp…”

“You’re absolutely disgusting,” Piper grumbled.

Cait laughed. “Least I’m honest with meself, unlike you, over there nursin’ the worst case o’ blue balls in human history. Just how long ya been pinin’ after her like a babe? You should be excited! A big adventure, just the two o’ you. No great big urgent mission, nobody needs rescuin’… just you an’ her, together. Ya won’t get a better chance.”

Piper’s stomach had begun to twist into knots. What if… what if she was _right? Would_ there be a better opportunity than this to finally just… put everything out there? She had to admit that Cait kind of had a point. There’d be no one to interrupt them, after all. They hadn’t really been out into the Commonwealth together like this in quite a while, and before, there was always some pressing task that needed doing, something to distract them from… well, each other. What if they were on that boat for _days?_ She could picture it so clearly… Confessing her feelings, watching Blue’s face light up, hearing that soft, melodic voice say ‘I love you, too’… She wasn’t sure her heart could take it, at this point – she might just drop dead on the spot. How amazing would it feel to _finally_ kiss those lips, _finally_ get her hands on that body she’d been dreaming about for years… But still…

 “ _Do it_ ,” Cait urged. “I can tell what you’re thinkin’— ‘oh, but what if I ruin everythin’, I’m Piper an’ I’m annoyin’ and loud and no one could ever love me…’ Eff off. Do it.”

“It’s not that,” Piper complained, although if she were honest with herself, it _was_ , at least a little. There was a not-insignificant part of her that truly believed Blue deserved someone better, but…

“Yes it is,” Cait insisted. “You’re bein’ a baby. Yeah, Evie’s smart and beautiful and talented and all that, but so are you. You aren’t just some scavver trash – you’re a good person an’ a fine piece of arse, an' she likes you, and that’s that! Don’t you try and gimme any o’ that self-pityin’ shite. You an’ Evie didn’ let me get away with that bull when I was strung out on chems an’ feelin’ sorry for meself, an’ I’ll be damned if I let you get away with it, either.”

Cait cleared her throat awkwardly. She actually looked a little embarrassed at how much she’d just spoken. “Gah… I’m no good at all this thinky-feely stuff, you know. It’s _brutally_ sad for you that you need _me_ to tell you all this shite.”

“I’m… aware of that,” Piper replied, with a wry smile in spite of her previous distress. As mortified as she’d been, it was impossible to stay mad at Cait after all _that._ “But all the same… thank you. I’m… sorry to be combative. I know you mean well. You _are_ gross, though,” she added.

“Too right, I mean well,” Cait agreed, conveniently ignoring the last bit. “I’m _crushin’_ this ‘friends’ thing, right? If I can finally make you two fuck, it might just be me finest achievement. Can I have a trophy or somethin’? Or at least a threesome?”

“If those are my two choices, I will scour the entire planet to find you a trophy,” Piper promised. “It’ll be the most magnificent trophy in all the world.”

“Your choice. You don’t know what you’re missin’, though,” Cait grinned. “I bet I could make you _squeal.”_

“I _am_ gonna tell her,” Piper declared, as much for her own benefit as Cait’s. “I am. I decided this already. I’m gonna tell her, and whatever happens… happens.”

“’Least you _sound_ determined. Baby steps, I guess.”

Downstairs, the outer door clicked open.

 “Piper?” called Blue’s voice. “You here?”

“No time like the present.” Cait smirked.

“Shut up. _Upstairs_!” Piper called.

Blue was dressed for travel, in a pair of ratty cargo pants, a close-fitting cotton t-shirt, and her black sneakers. Her red hair hung over her left shoulder in her usual loose braid, and she’d also filled her backpack near to bursting, probably with food, water, and clothes.

“I’d carry that little pistol on your person if I were you,” Cait warned. “Don’t want it packed deep in that bag somewhere when the trouble starts.”

“Got you covered. Check it out,” said Blue, her hand disappearing into a hidden pocket on her bag’s shoulder strap and producing her pistol with a flourish. “They’ll never know what hit ‘em.”

Cait shook her head with a sigh. “You gotten any better at actually shootin’ that thing?”

“Well… some,” she admitted. “Piper’s been helping me, sometimes.”

“Blind leadin’ the blind,” Cait muttered.

“Heard that,” said Piper.

“Woulda been wasted if ya hadn’t,” Cait shot back.

“Oh, and Deacon taught me some practice exercises, too,” Blue continued. “You know, deep breaths, aim for center mass, squeeze but don’t pull, all that stuff.”

“She’s good enough to defend herself,” said Piper.

“Plus, we’ve got Hermes!” Blue grinned.

Piper groaned. “You mean you fixed that awful thing? Are you sure it’s safe?”

“What’s a Hermes?” Cait asked.

“Another of Blue’s robots,” Piper explained. “One of those floating eyebot things that she fixed up with a laser strong enough to melt people. Or melt _us_ , I guess, if a dark mood takes it.”

“Don’t be silly,” Blue admonished her. “He can’t melt _us._ I wrote his targeting heuristics myself. He’s programmed to _protect_ us.”

“Yeah, that’ll be small comfort to you when you’re washing my ashen remains out of your hair,” Piper muttered. Of all Blue’s numerous creations, Hermes was probably the most unsettling, next to that creepy fucking Spacebot. Blue had insisted the thing was just a robot and not at all self-aware, but the little chirping sounds it made as it floated around sounded suspiciously like laughter, to Piper’s ears. She’d hoped Blue had given up on fixing it, but no such luck, apparently. A fool’s hope, anyway – Blue was as likely to give up on fixing one of her broken robots as to sprout a pair of wings out of the middle of her back.

“I wanna see the murderbot,” Cait declared.

“Oh, for… he’s not a _murderbot!_ ” Blue cried, deeply offended now. “I built him to watch over us while we sleep! His default setting is only motion detection, to provide us with an early-warning system, and the defense systems are on a _voice lock_! The laser is only a last resort!”

“Could we at least stop calling it ‘he’?” Piper implored.

“No,” said Blue, crossing her arms in a huff.

“Evie!” Nat called from downstairs. “We’re finished with the dummy, come see!”

“Dummy?” Piper demanded, suddenly wary.

“I retuned his fusion cell capacitor, and I need to test it before we go,” said Blue. “I was _going_ to ask if you two wanted to come watch, but I’m considering rescinding the invitation.”

“Oh, don’t eat the head off us, we’re just teasin’ you,” said Cait. “Right, Piper?”

“You know I trust you,” Piper had to admit. “But… if _he_ does eventually decide that I need to be disintegrated, just promise me you’ll scatter whatever’s left of me somewhere with a nice view.”

They followed Nat outside and around to the back yard, where Blue kept all of her various and sundry knickknacks that wouldn’t fit inside the house. Nat and Sheng Kawolski were waiting for them, kneeling over the eyebot, which was currently resting dormant on the ground next to an old refrigerator. At the other end of the yard stood what had to be the ‘dummy’ Nat had referenced, a hodgepodge of old, rusty robot parts cobbled together into something that vaguely resembled an old Protectron unit. It was wearing a red necktie and a crumpled fedora, and someone had painted on a hideous face, featuring a wide, grotesque black mustache perched atop a toothy shit-eating grin.

“Bring yourself back online, Hermes!” Nat demanded.

The eyebot chirped and engaged its hover jets, floating its merry way over toward the group.

“About the voice lock…” Piper started.

“Only you or I can arm him, don’t worry,” Blue assured her, with a guilty smile.

“Who dressed the robot?” Cait asked, nodding toward the busted Protectron.

“It’s Mayor McDonough,” said Nat with a giggle. A few flecks of black paint glistened on her cheeks, and she was wearing a pair of huge welding goggles that looked absolutely ridiculous.

“Looks just like him, doesn’t it?” Sheng snickered. He was even more covered in paint than Nat – his hands looked like he’d dipped them right into the bucket. “Not quite fat or ugly enough, though, if you ask me.”

Piper arched an eyebrow at him. “I take it the paint is your handiwork.”

“The fine arts have always been my true calling,” Sheng lamented. “But it’s hard for the truly inspired to get ahead in this crazy world.”

“Oh, shut up,” said Piper.

“So can we blow that thing up?” Cait asked.

“You. I like you. I like where your head’s at,” said Sheng, his eyes wild with excitement.

“Everybody stand behind me,” Blue ordered. She opened up a panel on the side of the robot and started tinkering. “The dummy won’t register as hostile because it’s non-threatening and has no heat signature, so I’ll have to add a one-time override to the targeting system...”

“Yeah, yeah, sounds grand,” said Cait impatiently.

“That… should… do it,” said Blue, closing the panel. Hermes made a whirr-and-click sound that caused Piper to take another involuntary step backward.

“OK, Hermes. Disengage voice lock.” Hermes chirped. Blue grinned like a madwoman. “Execute Order 66.”

It was over before Piper really knew what was happening. One second, the dummy was just standing there, motionless… and then an almost anticlimactic sound emanated from the eyebot, not a ‘bang’ or a ‘boom’ but more like a _‘fwwop’…_ and then the dummy was gone. Not busted, or broken, or knocked over… just _gone_. Nothing left but that old fedora and a heap of smoldering rubble.

_Well, at least it didn’t start a fire this time. So, mission accomplished?_

“Holy _shite,_ ” Cait breathed.

“DOWN GOES MCDONOUGH!” Sheng shrieked. “It is OVER, ladies and gentlemen! WHAT A BLOODBATH!”

“I take it that was the hoped-for result?” Piper asked.

“Mmhmm,” Blue acknowledged absently, wearing her ‘I’m thinking’ expression. “The beam’s tightly focused, no collateral damage. Capacitor’s tuned perfectly to reduce heat and power draw, and that should maximize overall efficiency, without impairing the defense systems… Yep!” She smiled, finally turning to meet Piper’s eyes. “All good. Ready to hit the road whenever you are.”

“At least the hat lived,” said Nat, picking it up off the ground. “It looks kinda like Nicky’s.”

“Speaking of Nicky, did Ellie finally get around to telling him that they’ll be watching you while we’re gone?” Piper asked.

The younger girl shrugged. “He won’t mind. Nicky’s always busy, anyway. Ellie never tells him stuff. Besides, it’s not like I’ll be in the way. I still sleep in my bed when you guys leave.”

“Well, have fun,” said Piper, reaching down to grab those welding goggles off of Nat’s head and pull her in for a hug. “And be good. I know you will.”

“Come here, you,” Blue ordered, snatching Nat away into a tight hug of her own. “We’ll be back as soon as we can, I promise.”

“I’ll be fine, geez,” Nat protested, smiling through her blushing cheeks. “I can take care of myself.”

“You can,” Piper agreed. “You always have.”

Cait went to get her power armor warmed up, and Piper and Blue took the opportunity to drop by Valentine’s, to thank Nick and Ellie again for keeping an eye on Nat. _Just a pair of moms, making sure to thank the babysitter,_ Piper thought with a smile, remembering Cait’s words from earlier.

Ellie and Nick were arguing when they walked in.

“Because there’s a _macro_ for it,” Ellie was saying, in an exasperated tone. She was sitting at her desk with her forehead cradled in her hands, while Nick rifled through a filing cabinet in the back of the room.

“Well, this is the way I’ve always done it,” said Nick, sounding stubborn.

“And the way you’ve always done it is wrong!” said Ellie. “Can you imagine if _I_ organized things that way? I’d never be able to leave the office! What year do you think this is, 1912? We have _computers_ , Nick!”

“I’m sorry to interrupt,” Blue said quietly. “We’re just heading out, and…”

“Oh, come on in, love,” said Ellie, giving her a smile. “Nick’s just determined to live an analog life in a digital world.”

“I like to have the physical files so I can put my hands on them,” Nick explained, his face hidden behind the filing cabinet. “It helps me think when I’ve got something tangible in front of me.”

“Yes, and in order to _do_ that, you need to abide by the system I’ve developed for organization,” Ellie explained, her voice dripping with condescension.

“They _are_ organized,” Nick insisted. “Alphabetically, by month…”

“No, they’re organized by _case number.”_

“That’s not how I keep track of them in my head,” Nick complained.

“You don’t need to! God, Nick, for someone as good with computers as you are—

“We’re being rude to our guests, Ellie,” Nick admonished her, in that infuriating, ever-patient voice.

“Oh, don’t mind us!” said Piper, flashing them a bright smile. “I’m always down to watch Nicky Valentine get a good scolding.”

“Thanks again for doing this,” said Blue.

“Oh, please,” Ellie waved her off. “She’s never any trouble. I love having her around. If anything, you’re doing _us_ a favor.”

“Well, _that’s_ a new one,” Piper laughed. “Don’t you dare tell her that. The last thing she needs is more self-confidence.”

“You two ladies be careful,” said Nick. “I know how well you two can handle yourselves, but I have to at least say it. It’s a nasty world out there.”

“We will be,” Blue promised. “You know me. Safety first.”

“I _do_ know you, Evie, and it’s _because_ I know you that that statement doesn’t exactly inspire confidence.” Nick smirked. “Did you manage to get Hermes working, at least?”

Blue snapped her fingers. “Like a charm! We’ll be safe, don’t worry.”

“Yeah, woe betide anyone who runs afoul of _that_ thing,” Piper agreed. “We could probably walk right into a deathclaw nest with that robot as an escort.”

“Still… be safe,” said Ellie. “Don’t you dare die out there.”

They took their leave and headed for the city gates with Hermes in tow, passing by Nat and Sheng on the way, the pair of them headed off toward the marketplace to do God knows what. As much as Nat groused about how annoying Sheng could be, those two _did_ spend an awful lot of time together, even if a healthy portion of it was spent arguing and yelling at one another.

“Maybe they _will_ get married one day,” Piper mused, nodding toward the pair of them.

Blue laughed aloud. “I’ll give him this much: he’s definitely one of the rare people who could handle her. As mean as she is to him, if she hasn’t driven him away by now, she’s never going to.”

Cait was waiting for them outside the city gates, clad head to toe in that massive set of power armor.

“Guess the suit finally grew on ya, huh?” Piper observed.

“Yeah, I’ve found the concept of towerin’ over everyone I meet sort of agrees with me,” said Cait, her voice filtered through the modulator inside her helmet.

“Well… guess this is it, then,” said Blue, her expression sad.

“Aw, don’t go makin’ me cry, now!”  Cait whined. “You two just better hurry back, that’s how it is! I won’t be far away, just right down the road. I’d hug you both, but, well… I shoulda thought o’ that before I climbed into this thing, and now me arse crack is already swimmin’ in sweat, so I’d best stay in here, for your sakes…”

“I think we get the idea,” said Piper.

“Yeah, well, be safe out there, my loves. Don’t do anythin’ I wouldn’t do. And Piper… Remember what I said.”

“I, uh… OK,” Piper stammered. “You too.”

“We’ll see you soon!” Blue promised. “You’re coming over first thing when we get back! You’d better!”

The watched her head off to the north as they made their own way southeast, the _clomp-clomp-clomp_ her armored footsteps slowly fading into the distance.

“What did she mean?” Blue asked. “’Remember what I said’? What was that about?”

“Oh, nothing important,” Piper replied, doing her best to sound nonchalant. “Just some advice she gave me.”

“I… see,” said Blue, considering. “Well, I’m sure it was good advice.”

“You know where we’re going, I assume?” Piper asked, eager to change the subject.

Blue nodded. “Naturally! I have a map on the Pip-Boy. It’s in my bag. But we probably won’t need it – Hermes knows where to go, we’ll just have to follow him. I programmed a route for us that gives a wide berth to all the places that might be dangerous. Their contact is supposed to meet us at University Point, but obviously, that’s a little too far to go in one day. I’ve marked us a place to spend the night tonight, an old summer cabin in the woods a few miles south of the old military checkpoint in South Boston. The Minutemen use it, sometimes.”

“That sounds pretty okay,” said Piper.

“It will be, if that hotel in Concord is any indication,” Blue agreed. “They do a mighty fine job of cleaning things up, those Minutemen.”

This part of the Commonwealth was less familiar to Piper than the north side of the city. They’d been down this way once before, helping Preston Garvey and the aforementioned Minutemen retake their old stronghold, but that had been over a year ago. They spent the first half of their day weaving a careful path through the southern half of Boston, doing their best to avoid notice. Once they made it out of the city proper, the ruins gave way to what must’ve once been a fairly dense forest, now only a shadow of its former self.

There were lots of trees around, still, but they were mostly dead – gnarled, hardy things shaped like spikes, as if the Earth itself had honed them as defenses against the horrors humanity had chosen to inflict upon it. Even the grass had a sickly hue, yellow and mottled like the coat of a mangy animal. It made for a bleak spectacle, all things considered. There was little hope to be found in places like this, even if you squinted. Just an endless span of devastation, as far as the eye could see.

“What was this place like, before?” Piper asked.

“You mean the forest?”

Piper nodded.

“I wish you could’ve seen it.” Blue sighed, closing her eyes and tilting a wistful smile up towards the sky. “Maybe there’ll be more forests again, someday. I hope there are, anyway. Boston itself never had much in the way of _natural_ beauty, but I had family in North Carolina, and when I was a little girl, my daddy used to take me hiking in the Blue Ridge Mountains sometimes, when we’d go and visit my Gran down in Asheville. It was like…”

She hesitated. “It’s funny, I don’t know how to describe it to someone who’s never seen it before. It’s a shame _you_ can’t be the one to describe it to _me_ – you’d be way better at it. It was just… a wonderland, I suppose, for lack of a better term. Everything was so bright, and green, and beautiful, and you could just walk for miles and miles without seeing a single soul. I remember how rich the air smelled, near a river or stream… The sounds of a million birds calling, and insects buzzing, and the river rushing by…”

She took a deep breath and sighed again. “It was paradise, in moderation, but after a while, I’d get bored. Now, though? If you and I could just step through a time warp or something and go back there… I’m not sure I’d ever want to leave.”

_Sounds like a plan to me._

Piper flashed her a smile. “Oh? What would we do all day?”

“Oh, I’d think of something,” said Blue. “My dad liked to go fishing. I like to watch the fish swim, but I wouldn’t want to hurt one… We could build a fort, though! Or a log cabin! I’m good at building things.”

“Uh, yeah, I’ve noticed.” Piper had to giggle at her enthusiasm.

“We could build boats, too, and take Nat kayaking, I bet she’d love that… Oooooh, and we could build a _killer_ tree house.”

“A tree house?”

“Yeah! A little house built high off the ground, around a tree – or multiple trees, if you find a good spot,” Blue explained.

“Why would you want a house in a tree?” Piper wondered.

Blue paused, as if she hadn’t ever considered this. “It’s… fun? I mean… there’s no _practical_ purpose. At least, there wasn’t back then. Nowadays… Hmm. Can deathclaws climb trees? Yeah, probably. That’d be a terrible idea – we’d just be gift-wrapping ourselves for the monster.”

They walked on through the afternoon, chatting about this and that, allowing time here and there for Blue’s insatiable curiosity to lead them off in unanticipated directions. She spent a solid ten minutes trying to pick the lock on an old Nuka-Cola truck in search of a toy she kept referring to as a ‘collector’s item,’ only to find the thing completely empty, and once, at the edge of a pond, she passionately insisted that she’d seen a turtle. It turned out to be a dead mirelurk, and they turned tail and fled quickly after that, hoping to avoid coming into contact with whatever unspeakable horror had killed it.

Trips like this reminded Piper of some of the first days she and Blue had spent together, wandering the Commonwealth in search of leads as to Shaun’s whereabouts. They’d been almost strangers, then, but they’d become fast friends… largely due to Piper’s unwillingness to leave her alone. Looking back, the way she’d approached their relationship was _very_ atypical of her. Piper was usually guarded, always good for a bad joke or some diverting small talk, but she’d never been one to offer freely of herself, to be the person to _initiate_ closeness in a relationship, but with Blue, things had just been... different. Easier. After interviewing her, hearing her story, experiencing the inexorable pull of her magnetic personality, seeing that omnipresent hope shining in her eyes even after everything that had happened to her… Against all that, she’d been as helpless as a babe. She’d taken those first steps without a second thought, and they’d been inseparable ever since.

They reached the old cabin just as night began to fall. True to their reputation, the Minutemen’s influence was visible even from the outside – one of the hinges on the front door was much shinier than the other, a clear indication that it had been recently replaced. The rest of the building was in the condition one might expect from an old pre-war cabin located way out in the middle of a wasteland, but at least there were no holes in the outer walls that Piper could see.

Blue set her pack down on the porch with a heavy sigh and sunk down onto the front steps. Piper followed suit.

“I wish we could hear the sea,” said Blue, looking up toward the setting sun.

“How far are we?”

“A few hours, I think,” she answered. “Maybe three.”

“We should move to the beach,” Piper mused, leaning back on her elbows. “I bet the real sea’s much nicer to live on than the glowing one.”

“We used to go down to Revere when I was a kid. Probably not as crowded, these days. I bet it’s still gorgeous, though!”

Piper shook her head in disbelief. “How do you do it?” she blurted.

“Do what?”

“Stay so positive all the time,” Piper answered. “I’ve never known anyone even remotely like you, you know. Do you even realize how rare of a person you are?”

Blue blushed fiercely at that. “I mean… I know I’m weird…”

“Not ‘weird,’” Piper insisted, blushing herself, now. “You just… You just _do something_ to people. Not just me. If I feel like pouting or being in a bad mood, I can’t go anywhere near you. You've made _Marcy Long_ laugh, for goodness' sake.”

“I have bad days, too, you know,” Blue interjected.

“But your bad days don’t ever alter who you are,” said Piper. “Even at your worst, you always see the sunshine behind the clouds, and I… really admire that. A lot. It... makes my life so much better.”

“……thank you. That’s… really sweet of you to say,” said Blue in a quiet voice, still crimson. Piper knew she never took compliments well, but she’d been feeling bold, all of a sudden.

“…Hey, Piper?”

“Hey, Blue.”

“I… thank you. For coming with me.”

“You don’t have to thank me… This is where I wanna be.”

“Out in the middle of nowhere in a musty old cabin?” Blue giggled.

Piper turned to her and stared. Her hair was bright orange in the setting sun, the few little wisps that managed to escape from her braid during the journey stirring to and fro in the gentle breeze, kissing up against her freckled cheeks. Her eyes, so wide and bright and full of affection, begging her to get lost in them… Her lips quirked up in that demure little smile…

God, she was beautiful.

She felt a rush of determination suddenly flood through her like liquid fire. Her palms started to sweat, and she felt her cheeks turn bright red.

 _DO IT,_ said Cait’s voice.

 _DO IT. DO IT_.  _DO IT._

The words pounded in her head.

Her heart was hammering its way out of her chest, and Blue just sat there looking at her expectantly, a curious smile on her face.

_This isn’t the time… What if she says ‘no’ and then the whole rest of the trip is awkward…?_

_Fuck off, Piper. No more excuses. Tell her._

She swallowed down the lump in her chest, committed.

_Fuck it._

_This is me_ (faking it til I make it) _being_ _assertive_.

_I am NOT scared._

_(I'm very scared. Help me.)_

She met Blue’s eyes, hoping to God that whatever was about to come out of her mouth wasn’t light-speed stupid.

“I just want..." She swallowed again, willing herself to continue. "I don't care where I am, as long as I'm with you,” she stammered. Blue’s lips parted in surprise, probably at the emotion in Piper’s voice.

“Listen, Blue, I have something I have to…”

**WHOOOP-WHOOOP!**

Piper very nearly had a heart attack. The sound was so loud, so _jarring_ , that for a moment, she forgot what planet she was on. It turned her world upside-down.

“What the..!!!! What in the _world.._!?”

Blue’s face had gone very pale. “It’s Hermes… He must’ve detected—

Piper looked around frantically, still dazed and shell shocked, desperately searching for whatever had caused the –

**_BANG._ **

A shot rang out, extremely loud and terrifyingly close, and it hit its mark. It struck Hermes dead-on, and the robot dropped like a lead weight, producing one last dissonant chirp before falling silent.

“Piper…” Blue’s hand caught her own in a death grip.

“The guns!” Piper hissed. “Get your bag! Get the—

An iron grip on her shoulder snuffed out her breath in the back of her throat.

“Well, well…” growled a deep voice, directly into Piper’s ear. “What have we here?”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Whew.
> 
> Geez, this one was tough. I'm super nervous about how it turned out, but I hope you guys enjoy it.
> 
> Stay tuned. :)


	8. A Bit of Bedlam

They were caught. She would’ve fought, but it was over before it even began.

The grip on her shoulder was like a steel vise. Two more men were stalking toward them through the trees, and she could hear Blue struggling with another assailant to her right when suddenly a man’s voice cried out in pain. Her head jerked instinctively toward the source of the sound, but the man holding her down grabbed her hair with his other hand and pulled tight, preventing her from seeing what was happening.

“Jesus fucking Christ!” a man screamed. “She fucking BIT me! You CUNT!”

A dull _thwack_ , the unmistakable sound of fist hitting face. In the corner of her eye, she could just make out a shock of red hair, crumpling forward to the ground.

Blinding rage billowed up into her chest like a cloud of boiling-hot steam.

_(He hit her he hit her I’ll fucking kill him)_

“BLUE!!” she screamed, straining against her captor. “Blue, are you okay!? Say something!!”

No answer. Her stomach roiled with panic. She twisted herself over onto her knees, but the grip on her hair tightened painfully as her captor slammed her down onto her stomach, heedless of the splintery wooden boards scraping against her skin. Lowering himself down onto her back, he smashed her cheek down against the floor. She couldn’t see Blue at all.

“Whatever you’re thinking of doing, you’d best think again,” that deep, gravelly voice rumbled in her ear. “You’re outnumbered four to two. Or four to one, now your friend’s unconscious. It’ll be even worse for you when my scouts come back. If I were you, I’d be on my best behavior.”

“What do you want!?” Piper snarled, though she feared she already knew the answer. Her veins pulsed with a noxious cocktail of rage and terror. Four to one, he’d said. Hermes was apparently out of commission, and if Blue really was unconscious... She felt a sob forming in her throat. She’d been _so close_ … After all this time, she’d almost…

No. Now was hardly the time to fall apart. Eyes forward, as her father would’ve said. Find a way out of this shit situation… and then she and Blue would finish their little heart-to-heart.

_We are NOT going to die here. Not like this._

She could make out the other two men, now, freshly emerged from the cover of the trees, greasy-haired assholes dressed in dirty brown leathers, armed with homemade pipe rifles and covered head to toe in spikes. Ah, Raiders. Truly the pinnacle of human advancement.

She really would’ve preferred deathclaws. At least deathclaws didn’t play with their food. To her knowledge.

“Why the fuck didja leave ‘em alive?” one of them asked. He was scrawny with a face like a rat, with a mop of pale blond hair like loose straw.

“Your eyes not workin’ or something?” said the other. This one was a bit chubby, with an ugly scar from cheekbone to chin, and had a slow, drawling accent that Piper couldn’t place. “Those’re the finest couple o’ fuck toys I’ve ever seen in my life. ‘Specially the redhead.”

“Hands off, fuckface, I got dibs on the redhead,” said an angry voice belonging to a man she couldn’t see. “Cunt nearly bit my finger off. I’m gonna fuck her _bloody_.”

“You can have ‘er first,” the fuckface agreed.

Piper’s fists clenched in fury.

_We’ll see about that, you son of a bitch._

“We won’t be taking them with us,” said the deep-voiced man holding Piper, followed by indignant sounds of protest from two of the others.

“The fuck we ain’t!” the chubby man protested.

“They’ll only slow us down. We can’t afford to linger this close to the Castle, especially laden with supplies.”

“He’s right,” Rat Face agreed. “This is Minutemen territory we’re in. They don’t fuck around, these days. Not anymore.”

“Piss on the Minutemen,” the chubby man growled. “I ain’t scared o’ no Minutemen.”

“One night, then,” pleaded the man Blue had bitten. “Come on, Randall, I’m beggin’ you here. I don’t ask for much. The cunt fucking BIT ME!”

A long pause. Piper couldn’t have moved even had she wished to – the man still had her pinned fast against the ground.

“Fine. You have an hour,” said the deep voice. “Finish your business, and then we go.”

“No reason you shouldn’t have a little fun, too.”

A deep, sinister chuckle. “Oh, I plan to.”

A strong hand yanked her to her feet and spun her around, giving her a first glimpse at her captor. Her gaze was immediately drawn to his left eye – or rather, where his left eye should’ve been. In its place was a dark, gaping hole. His ash-pale head had been shaved clean with a razor, and he wore a thick, scraggly beard at least a foot long. He wasn’t especially burly, but he was quite tall, and judging by the power of his grip, his lankiness belied a great deal of wiry strength. One of his long-fingered hands suddenly snatched out, closed around her throat and squeezed. The spikes on his armor pressed painfully against her collarbone.

“Hey there, pumpkin,” he growled, smiling a yellow, broken-toothed smile. “I’m Randall, and these are my merry men. Pleased to make your acquaintance.”

“Whatever you’re gonna do, just fucking get on with it,” Piper spat. This guy obviously fancied himself as cleverer than the average asshole, and she wasn’t about to indulge him. They were all the same, Raiders, with their fancy costumes and stupid aliases like Boomer and Helter Skelter, all of them trying to establish dominance by being that extra bit crueler and more vicious than the next guy. They were like children. Or animals.

Faster than she could blink, her Raider captor pushed her back several steps and slammed her against the wall of the cabin, hard. She saw stars.

It was hopeless. What could she do, against him? He was twice her strength and half again as tall. If he wanted to, he could choke her to death right this second, and she could do nothing to stop him. Her pistol was tucked away in her bag over on the front steps, useless. Why hadn’t she been carrying it? How could she have been so careless?

“Now, I understand you’re upset,” the brute nearly whispered, pressing his face down within inches of her own. His breath was unbearable; it smelled like a charnel house. “But this can go one of two ways for you – either you relax, and try to enjoy yourself in this last hour of life you have left, which I would heartily recommend… or you can fight. You can fight, and you will lose, and I will fuck you into the dirt until you stop breathing.”

His spoke firmly, and with conviction, but there was no anger in his words, which made them all the more chilling. She got the impression that he would do exactly as he threatened, but would find no joy in it… he’d just do it as a matter of fucked-up principle. A sociopath, then. What luck.

She only had one option – the balls. Considering the difference in size and strength between the two of them, that was the one place she could hit him and have a chance of getting away. She didn’t have much of an angle, pinned like this, but he’d have to loosen his grip eventually if he meant to turn her around. Her eyes cast about frantically, searching for her bag, but instead found…

_Blue… Oh, Blue…_

The other woman lay motionless on the edge of the porch, sprawled out face-down in a heap. The man she’d bitten stood over her, wrapping the wound on his hand with a dirty rag. A wicked, jagged-edged sword with a rust-covered blade lay at his feet. When he’d finished, he’d undoubtedly grab her, and then…

Her jaw clenched with fury and resolve. This may have been the worst spot she and Blue had ever found themselves in, and maybe death would take them before the end of the day, but she’d been in enough tight spots to have learned that her fight-or-flight response landed on ‘fight’ ten times out of ten, and if nothing else, she would go down swinging. If these bastards meant to torture and rape the woman Piper loved, they would do it over her own dead body. She may not have been the hero from a fairytale, but she was no shrinking damsel, either.

 “Here’s what you’re going to do,” her captor started, drawing her focus back to him. “I’m going to let go of you, and you’re going to strip. Pants, underpants, everything, down to your bare ass. Strip, and get down on your hands and knees. If you run, or move in any way that I don’t like, I’ll blow your brains out. After you’ve finished, I’m going to rape you. If you strike me, I’ll cut off your hand. If you bite me, I’ll cut out your tongue. Do we understand one another?”

“Anything you put in my mouth, you’re gonna lose,” Piper spat.

Randall laughed. “You’re _both_ biters, eh? Well, I wouldn’t worry about that. You need your mouth to scream, after all. I wouldn’t dream of depriving myself of _that_ little pleasure.”

She opened her mouth to respond, but movement caught her eye.

“The fuck?” said the Raider standing over Blue. “You… What d’you think you’re doing?”

Blue. She’d lunged for the bag, and with a flash of black steel, her hand emerged with her pistol.

“Hey, w—hnnnhh!!”

The pistol discharged with a resounding _pop_ , and the man standing over her staggered to his knees, clutching at his stomach. As the other two Raiders reached for their weapons in surprise, Blue scrambled across the porch toward where Hermes had fallen.

Whatever she hoped to accomplish with the robot, Piper couldn’t begin to guess, but that was all the cue she’d needed. Operation Ball Crusher, initiated.

Before her captor could react, she slammed her knee up between his legs, as hard as she could. He fell against her with a pained grunt, and both of them crashed to the ground.

“Piper! Catch!” Blue shouted, sliding the pistol across the wooden floor. Shots rang out from the front yard, where the other two Raiders had been before the melee started. Blue hid herself as best she could behind Hermes, and the porch was encircled by a railing with thick wooden slats, so she at least had the benefit of a small measure of cover. Somehow, she’d prized open some kind of panel on the back of the robot, in a mad attempt to get the thing working again in the middle of the firefight. Classic Blue, goddammit.

All the breath had been knocked out of her, but Piper knew she didn’t have time to waste worrying about little things like breathing. She shoved the man off of her with all her adrenaline-fueled strength, just as the still-smoking gun skittered across the floor to her side. Randall grabbed wildly at one of her arms just as her other hand closed around the grip of Blue’s pistol.

_You should’ve just left us alone._

She could almost see the light going out of his eye as she leveled the gun at his face, but she didn’t hesitate. Still gasping for breath, she closed her eyes, and pulled the trigger. In an almost poetic twist of fate, the bullet struck him directly in the one eye he had left, killing him instantly. More mercy than he probably deserved, but Piper was fine with it, all things considered. Blood spattered up onto her chest, onto her chin. She ignored it. Blue was in danger; that was the only thing that mattered.

Two more Raiders had come sprinting through the trees at the sound of gunfire – Randall’s scouts returning, most likely. Chubby and Rat Face had recovered from their shock, with the former stumbling his way up the porch steps and the latter trying to get a clear shot at Blue without hitting the wounded man at her side. Neither of them seemed particularly eager to leap into the fray right at this moment, given the fate that had befallen their two comrades, but they were still shooting, and still extremely dangerous.

Blue slammed the robot’s back panel shut with an audible _clank_.

“Hermes, bring yourself back online!” she cried.

“KILL THEM, YOU FUCKING IDIOTS!” the gut-shot man screamed, throwing himself at Blue and slashing wildly with his rusty sword. She tried to dive away, but she wasn’t fast enough – the blade cut a wide swath across her lower back, and she cried out in pain.

_No no no no no no no!!!!_

“ _BLUE!_ ” Piper screamed, leaping over the dead man at her feet… and right into Chubby’s path. His piggy little eyes sparkled with pure madness as he raised his bayonetted pipe rifle to end her life.

Unfortunately for him, he never got the chance.

**_FWOPPPP._ **

She threw up an arm in front of her face to protect her eyes from the blinding flash of red light, and when she opened them again, Chubby was nothing but a heap of smoldering ash. For a split second, it smelled like barbecue.

Hermes gave a happy little chirp.

“WHAT THE FUUUUUCK!!!” Rat Face screamed. He had been advancing on Piper, too, but immediately turned his frantic attention to Hermes, who seemed to be priming his death ray for another extermination.

Piper only had eyes for Blue. She lay in a rapidly-growing puddle of blood on the edge of the porch, desperately scrabbling away from the sword-wielding psychopath descending upon her. The wound in the man’s stomach was likely fatal, but adrenaline was carrying him, now – he raised the bloody blade again, with murder in his eyes.

Piper raised the pistol and fired once, her hand quivering like a leaf.

She missed.

She fired again.

This time the bullet clipped his thigh, but he barely even seemed to notice it. He started to bring the blade down in a vicious arc…

And then…

Two shots rang out, **_BOOM BOOM_ , **in rapid succession. The first hit Blue’s assailant in the center of the chest, and he tumbled backward as if he’d been hit by a truck. The second hit Rat Face right in his rat face, and as a result, his head completely exploded.

The pair of Raider scouts advancing from the woods had only a scant moment to contemplate this new development before they, too, were felled – precision shots, directly to center mass, with high-powered rifles. Instant death.

It was chaos, and Piper didn’t have the slightest idea what had happened or who else was out there, but right this second, she didn’t care. Someone had helped them, that much was clear, but whoever it was, they would have to wait.

She dropped to her knees, trying desperately not to panic at the size of the puddle of blood seeping out from underneath Blue’s body. Blue herself was deathly pale, with an ugly purple bruise forming on her cheek where that bastard had punched her.

“Don’t worry, I’m fine,” Blue croaked. “It’s just a little cut, I think… There should be some… some bandages in the pack… Are you okay, Piper? There’s blood… on your shirt…”

Piper did her best to blink back her tears and shove her rising panic down.

_(So much blood so much blood so much blood)_

_She’s gonna be fine. We’re okay. She’s gonna be fine._

“It’s gonna be okay, Blue,” Piper assured both Blue and herself, cradling Blue’s head in her hands. “I’m gonna get you all fixed up…”

“Use these,” said a commanding voice from behind her.

The voice startled her badly, and she whirled around to look. A man was kneeling at her side, lean and muscular with skin the color of pitch. In his hand were three syringes, and he had a menacing-looking long-barrel rifle slung over his shoulder.

“These two are high-concentration stimpacks. The third is for the pain,” he explained. “Inject them into her arm. It’s a very high dosage for someone her size, so it’ll make her a little loopy, but it’ll stem the blood loss and knit the skin back together. It’ll be healed well enough to travel in a day’s time, but we’ve got to stop the bleeding. Give her the injections, then lift her shirt so that I can wrap the wound.”

A million questions filtered through her mind, least of which being ‘Who the hell are you?’, but she obeyed, without question. Her father hadn’t raised a fool.

“I did good, didn’t I?” Blue asked, squeezing Piper’s hand. “I didn’t panic… reset Hermes, gave you the gun…”

“You did _great,_ Blue.” Piper leaned down to press a kiss to her forehead. “Just relax for a sec, okay? This might sting a little.”

Piper administered the injections with no complaint from Blue, and their rescuer helped Piper turn her over onto her side and lift her shirt so that they could see to the wound. The wound…

_Oh my goodness, Blue…_

“It’s not as bad as it looks,” the man offered, in response to Piper’s unvoiced fears. “She might’ve died from blood loss, true, but it’s not deep enough to cause any structural damage. Stimpacks can’t regenerate vital organs, but they’re remarkably effective at knitting surface wounds back together, especially at high doses. Nasty gash, though. She’ll definitely have a gnarly scar.”

‘Not as bad as it looks’ wasn’t saying a whole lot, considering that her lower back looked like someone had tried to saw her in half.

“This will hurt, I’m afraid,” the man warned, tearing open a package containing what appeared to be a wet cloth. “A lot. Squeeze Ms. Wright’s hand if you need to, Dr. Moss. I’ve got to clean and disinfect the wound.”

Blue nodded through gritted teeth.

“AAAAAAAHHHHH, okaaaaay, yikes, that….owwww…!!!”

Her grip on Piper’s hand was actually hard enough to hurt, but Piper squeezed right back. For what seemed like an eternity, the man scrubbed at her back, wiping away the blood and flecks of rust from the blade that had cut her, until finally giving an abrupt nod of satisfaction.

“All right, now all that’s left is to dress the wound. The medicine will do most of the work – we just need to wrap it to protect it from the elements. Help me get her shirt off.”

Piper gulped.

_It’s okay. You can do this. It’s a medical procedure. Nothing sexual about this at all._

_How the fuck can you even think about sex at a time like this!? Like, seriously, fuck you, brain!_

“All clear, Saul,” called a young man’s voice from somewhere out in the front yard.

“Thank you,” the dark-skinned man answered. “Keep an eye out, if you would. There could still be more.”

She focused her eyes straight ahead on Blue’s face, very pointedly _not_ looking any lower as they gently pulled her blood-soaked shirt over her head. She caught a quick glimpse of a white lace bra and immediately turned her face away.

_All good. Nothing to see here._

Intent on looking anywhere except Blue’s exposed body, she took a moment to get a better look at their rescuer, and her first impression was that he was _very_ easy on the eyes. ‘Tall, dark, and handsome,’ as the saying goes, he had almost an exotic look to him, like some long-lost prince of a faraway nation. If Piper hadn’t been head-over-heels in love with the woman in front of her, she might’ve dusted off the charm for him. Still, there was the not-insignificant matter of who the actual fuck this guy was. Definitely not a Raider, at least… could the Institute have been shadowing them?

“Who are you people?” Piper asked as they wrapped Blue’s midsection with a roll of heavy cloth bandages.

“My name is SL-86, but you can call me Saul,” the synth answered.

She nodded to herself. _Of course. Shoulda known._

“My companion is AD-01, but you’ll have to call him Adam. More often than not, he forgets his original designation, or confuses it with mine.”

“How did you find us?” Piper asked.

“Pure luck, to be frank,” the man admitted. “The Director sent us to shadow you, to protect you on your journey. We were given a transponder with which to track the signal from Dr. Moss’ Pip-Boy, but unfortunately…”

“It’s in her bag,” Piper finished for him. “Guess the big bad Institute doesn’t know _everything._ She doesn’t like wearing it when she doesn’t need it. Says it’s too heavy.”

“So we discovered,” Saul acknowledged, fastening the bandage onto Blue’s back with a large adhesive strip. It didn’t soak through with blood immediately, so hopefully that was a good sign.

“Without the signal, we were forced to employ more traditional means of tracking. Fortunately, we at least had a rough idea of the route you would take, and it would appear that our arrival was timely.”

“Uh… yep, you could say that,” Piper agreed. “….Thanks, by the way.”

“Is this real life?” Blue asked suddenly.

“Huh?” Piper looked at her inquisitively. She was lying on her back, shirtless, with her head propped up on her bag, stretching her arms out in front of her as far as she could reach.

The tops of her breasts had pale freckles on them.

_Oh God. Please focus._

Blue seemed completely unconcerned with her relative state of undress. She continued to examine her arms as if she’d never seen them before. “Your arms…. Have you ever just looked… like, _really_ looked at them?”

Piper glanced over at Saul. “Is this normal? And… can you move her head off of that bag for a second so I can get her a clean shirt?”

 “Seriously, Piper, look how long my arms are!” She giggled to herself like a little girl. “I bet my legs are, like… _twice_ as long…”

“It’s the medicine,” Saul explained, carefully lifting Blue’s head up. “I told you she might get a bit… loopy. It was necessary to stop the bleeding and get that wound healing, but she’s too small to metabolize it quickly.”

“Is she in any pain?” Piper demanded, pulling out the first shirt she could get her hands on. “Hold your arms up, Blue.”

“She shouldn’t be, no.”

“Well… that’s fine, then. She’s a little loopy even at the best of times.” She pulled Blue’s old ‘Boston Red Sox’ shirt down over her head, very carefully, to avoid hurting her. “I’ll keep an eye on her.”

“We’ll need to stay here overnight, to give her a chance to heal,” said Saul, climbing to his feet. “Give us a few minutes to secure the perimeter and establish some defenses, and we’ll carry her inside.”

Piper nodded absently, turning her attention back to the drug-addled redhead lounging on the floor at her side.

“Piper… There’s blood on you.”

“It’s not mine. Don’t worry about me,” she insisted. “I’m fine. I’m not even hurt.”

“…Guess we used up all our luck for a while, huh?” Blue grinned at her. “You should try some of these drugs, though. They’re pretty fantastic… I feel like I’m floating.”

Piper chuckled with exhaustion, finally feeling herself coming down from her panicked adrenaline high. She grabbed Blue’s hand and hugged it to her chest, blinking back the hot tears of relief threatening to come spilling out.

They were alive. Life in the Commonwealth was full of near misses, but this one…

 _Probably the most insane half-hour I’ve ever experienced in my life,_ she thought. It had had everything: a botched love confession, threats of rape and torture, death and mayhem, a sword wound and a daring rescue…

_And Blue’s boobs._

“Remind me never to mention this to Cait,” said Piper with a shudder.

“Never mention this to Cait.” Blue giggled again.

Piper smiled at her. “Glad you’re feeling better, at least.” She started to let go of Blue’s hand, but Blue didn’t let her.

“Don’t let go. I wanna hold your hand. I’m weak and disabled, you have to do what I say.”

“You’ve never been ‘weak’ in your life,” Piper retorted, but she definitely wasn’t going to argue.

_I could get used to Drugged-Up Blue…_

Their fingers intertwined together comfortably, and to Piper’s surprise, Blue shifted her head from atop her bag to Piper’s lap.

“Try not to move too much,” Piper admonished her, as color rushed into her cheeks. Her other hand almost tangled itself in Blue’s hair of its own accord before she stopped herself.

Blue’s emerald green eyes looked up to meet Piper’s own. “I think I lost my glasses. You look blurry.”

“They’ve gotta be around here somewhere. I’ll look for them after we move you inside.”

Blue murmured in acquiescence, nuzzling her head against the inside of Piper’s thigh. Probably trying to get comfortable.

“My back itches.”

“That’s the medicine, probably. Your body is trying to heal itself.”

“My scalp itches, too.” Blue smiled at her, a mischievous glint in her eyes. “Could you..?”

Piper hesitated. She really, _really_ shouldn’t play with Blue’s hair. That would be very familiar, especially with strangers nearby, and besides, she wasn’t in her right mind. It would be like taking advantage of her.

This was starting to feel very intimate.

_I really shouldn’t._

_……._

_But you know what? I wanna._

So she did.

Blue’s body performed an erotic little shiver at the first pass of Piper’s fingernails across her scalp. “Mmmmmm... That feels good.”

Her hair was softer than it looked. Piper had to look away, as the urge to kiss her was suddenly so overpowering that it was physically painful.

“Don’t stop,” Blue insisted, with a happy little sigh.

Piper really could have smacked her. If she thought for one second that Blue was doing this to her on purpose, she really _would_ wallop the crap out of her, gaping wound or not.

“I’m gonna have my very own battle scar,” said Blue. “Too bad it’ll be hidden under my shirt most of the time, so people won’t be able to see how much of a badass I am.”

“We’ll just find you a shirt that says ‘Total Badass’ on it, with an arrow on the back that says ‘Scar.’”

Blue giggled at that. Piper turned her head at the sound of approaching footsteps.

“It’s all clear out there,” said Saul, rejoining them on the porch. “Let’s get you inside, Dr. Moss. It’ll be dark very soon.”

It was no hardship carrying Blue inside – Piper could’ve probably done it herself, if not with such easy grace as Saul managed. The other synth, Adam, held the rickety wooden door for them, allowing Piper to get her first good look at their other rescuer. Compared to Saul, he was positively ordinary. Blond hair, blue eyes, unremarkable features. He did have a nice smile, though. Very warm. He was also nice enough to carry their packs inside.

The cabin was rustic and very no-frills, but it was nice enough, and clean. The main room was just a wide open area with a kitchen, sitting room, and dining room all together, sparsely furnished. Saul carried Blue all the way through the darkened living area to an open door in the back, the cabin’s only bedroom, and lay her down gently on the bed after Piper turned the covers down. There was a lamp on the bedside table, and for a wonder, it actually worked when Piper flicked the switch.

“Only one bed to be had, I’m afraid,” Saul lamented. “Congratulations, Dr. Moss – it’s yours. Adam and I will keep watch outside. We’re used to sleeping under the stars.”

“Piper can sleep with me,” Blue informed them.

“I’ll take the couch,” Piper quickly corrected.

Saul nodded. “Either way should be fine. Unless you thrash violently in your sleep, sharing the bed shouldn’t be a problem – the bindings won’t come undone. Probably more comfortable than that couch, anyway.”

“Yeah, see?” Blue beamed.

“Why are you…?” Piper started, then thought better of asking, in present company. Maybe Blue was just messing with her. Or maybe the drugs had _drastically_ lowered her inhibitions. Or maybe both.

“Oh, you guys should use Hermes, too,” Blue interjected. “I fixed him during the fight. He can keep watch, too!”

“The eyebot, you mean?” Saul inquired.

“Are you sure it won’t… you know, _fry_ them, like it did to that Raider?” Piper asked.

“He’s voice-locked, for the millionth time.” Blue rolled her eyes. “Although, come to think on it, something may be off with his motion detector. Those Raiders were almost right on top of us before his alarm sounded. The infrareds probably need to be recalibrated…”

“We’ll do just fine without him,” Saul promised, interrupting her. “You two get some rest. We’ll be right outside if you need us.”

“I like him,” Blue declared, after he’d left the room. Piper heard the front door close as he rejoined his companion outside.

“Me too, I guess,” Piper agreed.

“We’re super lucky they just happened to find us, aren’t we? They’re synths, from the Institute? Did I hear that correctly?”

“Yeah. Madison Li sent them after us, but they were trying to track your Pip-Boy.”

“…Oh. Whoops.” Blue winced. “She did ask me if I still had it. I guess that’s why.”

“It’s not your fault she didn’t specify. She should’ve told you what she was planning.”

Blue shrugged, noncommittal. “I guess…”

Piper sat down on the edge of the bed, resting a hand on Blue’s leg. “Let me know when you get tired, and I’ll let you sleep.”

“Don’t be silly. I saw that threadbare old couch; you’re not sleeping on that. We’ll share the bed.”

Piper hesitated. “…Are you sure? I wouldn’t want to…”

_…wouldn’t want to what? Keep you awake? Break open your wound? Get turned on?_

By way of answer, Blue shifted over to make room for her while simultaneously unbuttoning her pants. Piper’s blood pressure shot through the roof.

“I’ll need your help getting these pants off. I think there might be blood on them, too. Here, just grab down by my ankles and pull…”

Piper stared, immediately snapping her mouth shut when she realized it was hanging open.

_This has been the weirdest goddamned day of my life._

The cargo pants came off easily, leaving Blue’s slender, white legs exposed in all their endless glory. Piper immediately moved to cover her up, but Blue held up a hand to stop her.

“Just the sheet,” she insisted. “It’s too hot for the blanket. Are you coming to bed?”

“I’m all bloody,” Piper protested. “Just… let me get cleaned up, and then… yeah.”

“’Kay.”

The bathroom light worked, too, a dangling overhead fixture that wouldn’t have been out of place in an old horror film. It would’ve been too much to hope for a working sink, but there was a bucket full of water sitting on the floor next to an old, rusty toilet. The water looked clean enough, at least.

The mirror above the vanity was cracked, but usable, and she set herself to the grisly task of scrubbing the dead Raider’s blood from her chin and face. Thankfully, there wasn’t a lot, and this was far from the first Raider she’d killed, but it was still tough work. Blood never came off easily; not literally, or figuratively, either. It was like Blue always said – every kill left a mark. Piper knew she wasn’t as soft-hearted as Blue, but that Raider’s face, first resigned to death, then obliterated by a bullet… much as he’d deserved it, that grisly image would stay with her forever, along with hundreds of others. That was life in the Commonwealth for you. Not that she’d ever known any other.

It always surprised her, these days, whenever she looked into a mirror. Somewhere in her subconscious, it was like her default image of herself was that of a gangly teenager, and part of her was always a little surprised whenever this strange woman of almost twenty-seven years stared back at her. Her hair was even darker than it used to be. She had a little shrapnel scar on her chin, and another above her eyebrow. Her laugh lines were deeper, her dimples a little more pronounced. She looked… used. ‘Ridden hard and put up wet,’ as her dad would say.

_And there I was, about to profess love to a goddess…_

OK, that was being a little dramatic. Or a _lot_ dramatic. But still. Next to Blue, she felt ordinary. Unremarkable. A candle sputtering next to a roaring flame.

She smiled a self-deprecating smile to herself. She could hear Cait now. _None o’ that now, you gobshite. You’re makin’ me sick, listenin’ to you._

Adam had placed her pack just inside the doorway, so she set about changing out of her dirty clothes. Clean shirt, clean bra, clean panties… She hesitated with the pants. Blue was right – it would be too hot for the blanket, and…

_Well, if it’s good enough for Blue…_

She dropped them to the floor and turned out the light. It was full dark back in the bedroom, so at least her flushed cheeks would be hidden.

“Don’t trip on my pants,” Blue called in a sleepy voice. “They’re on the floor out there somewhere.”

Piper slipped into bed tentatively, keen to avoid jostling Blue’s injury, but Blue seemed to have no such worries. She leaned into Piper’s body and threw an arm around her, settling against her chest with a happy sigh. The heady sensation of their bare legs twining together set Piper’s blood aflame.

“What a weird day,” said Blue with a yawn.

“Guh,” said Piper. It was the best she could manage. Her brain just kept repeating ‘legs’ over and over. So, pretty unhelpful, all around.

“I feel kinda bad about them sleeping outside,” Blue continued. “You think they’ll be okay?”

“Umm… they definitely seem to know what they’re doing,” Piper managed.

“Yeah… you’re right.” She yawned again. “Man… I still feel floaty and weird, but now I’m super sleepy, too… That must’ve been some top shelf stuff they gave me…”

“I’m not surprised that you’re tired, Blue, drugs or not. You’ve kinda been through an ordeal. Not to mention we’ve been hiking all day.”

“Aw, it wasn’t that bad. Could’ve been a lot worse, you know? And speaking of – w _ow_ , we were lucky, weren’t we?”

“Oh, I don’t know… there was at least a _little_ heroism involved.”

“Yeah, they were pretty heroic, for sure!”

Piper laughed. “I meant you. Playing dead, getting the gun, fixing up Hermes in the heat of battle… Deacon would be proud.”

“… He _would_ , wouldn’t he?” Piper could almost feel her self-satisfaction radiating through her skin. “Agent Professor saves the day!”

“You don’t have to say ‘Agent,’ you know. The codename kinda speaks for itself.”

“Well I don’t know all the spy rules…” Blue grumbled. Another yawn. “Ughh… I _wanna_ keep talking, but would you kill me if I fell asleep? My head feels kinda swimmy…”

Piper smiled. “No, you dork. Go to sleep. You’re exhausted.”

“’Kay… Goodnight, Piper…”

“Goodnight, Blue.”

Blue snuggled up close to her chest and heaved a heavy sigh.

“I love you,” she murmured.

Piper’s throat produced an involuntary little squeak, and her heart nearly bounded out of her chest.

_….Uuhhhh?!?_

_She said ‘I love you.’ I distinctly heard ‘I love you.’_

_Did the drugs do that?!_

Understandably, her mind went into overdrive.

_She didn’t mean it… that way. She’s just on drugs and feeling affectionate. That’s all. I mean, I know she loves me. We’re best friends. Best friends love each other…_

_(SHE SAID I LOVE YOU)_

“Did you just say..?” Piper started, but immediately gave up with a sigh when she realized the infuriating woman was already asleep.

… _You are the worst. Literally the worst._

Trying to parse the exact meaning of those three words at this point would be an utterly futile exercise, which Piper knew perfectly well. It was very fortunate that she was exhausted, too, otherwise she’d probably have lain awake for hours, trying to envision every conceivable scenario which could’ve prompted those words to come out of Blue’s mouth. Because, you know… reasons.

And now that she thought about it, had Blue been… _flirty,_ after the skirmish? Laying her head in Piper’s lap, asking to hold her hand… that teasing smile, complaining of her scalp itching… oh, it was no use, she was too tired to think straight…

( _“Goodnight, Piper… I love you…”)_

There was no doubt that she meant it. Even high as a kite, she wouldn’t have said it if she didn’t mean it. Piper knew her well enough to know _that_. But… _God_ , she had the worst timing! _Always_!

_How on Earth am I supposed to relax, now!? And how do I even bring this up?! ‘Hey, Blue, remember last night when you said ‘I love you’? No? Okay, never mind, I guess the pain medicine had you feeling a little confused… Haha, forget I said anything…’_

_Literally. The. Worst._

Probably, the best thing would be to not bring it up at all, to just say what she’d planned to say, anyway. This didn’t change anything – not really. She’d like to be able to say that it would make her own eventual confession easier, but, I mean, come on. It wouldn’t. At all.

_We are so hilariously bad at this._

Piper held her close, breathing in a deep draught of air and filling her nose with the smell of oil and sweat and a hint of lilac shampoo… that weird combination that was unmistakably _Blue._

She took another deep breath and tried her very best to relax, despite the distraction of the sleeping woman in her arms. They would have to have that talk, sooner rather than later. Things were getting complicated.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hopefully things will be looking up for these two ladies soon. :)
> 
> Also, Saul and Adam aren't just one-off throw-in characters. I actually have some ideas for how I want to develop them. I hope you'll enjoy it -- I'm looking forward to trying my hand at a couple of original characters. I promise it won't come at the expense of Piper and Blue, though. 
> 
> Thanks again for reading! Sorry if this update was a bit less fun than the others. I did enjoy writing it, though. :)


	9. Home

It was late morning, possibly even pushing noon, before she woke, judging by the slant of the light filtering through the window on her side of the bed. Waking up in a strange place was always a little disorienting, especially for someone like Piper who was the polar opposite of a ‘morning person,’ but she recovered quickly. Quickly enough to prevent herself from waking the smaller woman coiled around her like a serpent, thankfully.

She and Blue were so tangled up together that, in her sleep-addled state, it was hard to determine where one of them left off and the other began. The other woman’s dark red head was tucked tightly under Piper’s chin, absolutely radiating heat – clearly, they’d both been too tired to remember to open a window before bed, and they’d been slowly marinating in the late summer sun all morning long while they slept. Their legs were a jumbled mass of hot skin and sweat, with the damp sheet wadded up between them, but as uncomfortably warm as she felt, nothing short of mortal peril could’ve moved Piper Wright in that moment. It was just too sublime, like a scene right out of a dream.

_God, a girl could get used to this…_

She couldn’t see Blue’s face from this angle, but she knew just what she’d look like. Brow furrowed, eyes scrunched up, lips pressed tightly together – after all this time, the curves and contours of Blue’s face were almost more familiar to her than her own. At least she seemed to be resting comfortably, at the moment, despite her injury and her propensity for nightmares. All that medication must’ve well and truly knocked her out. She’d definitely miss Doped-Up Blue, when she was gone.

As blissful as it was to be entwined together like this… in a way, it was almost torture. She’d never been so drawn to another human being in her life, and lying here, listening to Blue’s quiet breathing, her mind started to wander, through all the what-ifs and idle fantasies that were _so_ intoxicating. How amazing would it be to roll over on top of her and wake her with a kiss, and have that kiss returned? To have Blue’s entire lithe, slender body open to her touch, to caress those legs, to push up that oversized night shirt and bare those flawless, freckle-dusted breasts…

To kiss her way down this exquisite woman’s chin, her neck, her breasts, her stomach… To slide white panties off of eager hips, to feel thin fingers tangling in her hair as she…

Piper literally had to stifle a moan. No one had ever warned her that falling in love would be such an agonizing exercise in emotional and sexual frustration. She’d never felt a _tenth_ of this for any of the small handful of men she’d been with in the past. Not a _twentieth,_ and she was well past the point where the whims of her imagination were satisfying. It was a delicious fantasy, but she wanted more. _Needed_ more.

Today was the day. No ifs, no ands, no buts. They would hike the rest of the way to the coast, walk on the beach together, maybe watch the sunset… and Piper would finally, _finally_ tell her best friend that she was madly in love with her. Simple, right?

_She said it first, after all! Granted, she was a little wasted, but it still counts. I’m counting it._

What could possibly go wrong? Well, aside from more Raiders trying to murder them. Or not being able to shake free of their new synth chaperones to get some time alone. Or ruining their friendship, of course. That could happen. Or… any number of other horrible things.

Lying here like this, though, with Blue’s pale, bare legs twining around her own and her head resting comfortably on Piper’s shoulder, it was hard to imagine it going any other way but perfect. That’s what she’d keep telling herself, anyway. If Blue had taught her anything, it was that a little optimism can go a long way.

Speaking of synths, though… Oddly enough, she trusted Saul and Adam, and try as she might, she hadn’t been able to pin down the exact reason why. Well, aside from the fact that they had saved Blue’s life, and her own. That was an obvious point in their favor, but there was more to it than that.

The Institute had always been this omnipotent and sinister black cloud hanging over the Commonwealth, but now that she knew them for who they were, most of that mystique was gone. Even a year ago, the thought of ever trusting anything remotely to do with the Institute would’ve been ridiculous, but now? Maybe it was the thought of those two wandering through the wilderness, failing to connect with Blue’s unresponsive Pip-Boy and having to come up with a desperate Plan B. They weren’t just some flawless, indomitable force – they were people, and little imperfections like that were humanizing. Or… ‘synthenizing’? Synthesizing? Would using ‘humanizing’ be received as accepting, or insulting? Maybe she’d ask Saul.

 _Probably insulting,_ she reasoned. _If I were a synth and someone compared_ me _to a human, I’d definitely be insulted._

Frankly, she still kind of hated the Institute and anything to do with it, but she was at least willing to give their rescuers the benefit of the doubt. They both seemed like decent enough people, and it wasn’t like the synths themselves had ever been the problem, anyway. It wasn’t fair to lump them in with the scientists. Unlike the _human beings,_ the ones who should have had sense enough to know better, most of the synths weren’t even self-aware, and many of those who _were_ sentient had been used against their will. Blue had considered helping the Railroad to be a noble goal, and Piper had agreed, after she’d gotten over her initial fears and come to understand more about the Institute synths themselves. All in all, they were no different from the average person – just trying to get by.

Blue began to stir in her arms, interrupting her little reverie.

“ _Uunnhhhhh…”_ she groaned. “Oh, _gross…_ my mouth tastes like…. _Eck…”_

“Are you okay?” Piper asked. “How’s your back?”

“…stiff…” Blue buried her face in Piper’s chest. “Ugh, I feel so disgusting…”

“Yeah, you look horrible,” Piper teased. “I might vomit just looking at you.”

“You really _would_ vomit if I breathed on you,” Blue assured her. “This is the worst morning breath I’ve ever had in my life…”

“Probably a side effect of that pain medication,” Piper reasoned. “Did you at least sleep well?”

She felt Blue nod against her chest. “I think so… I had a really weird dream, though…”

“Anything interesting?”

“Probably not.”

Piper gave her an affectionate little squeeze. “Tell me anyway.”

Blue giggled. “For some reason I was on the basketball team back at my high school, and the coach kept putting me in the game and making me play. I was terrible, obviously, and the whole team blamed me every time we lost, but the coach kept throwing me out there over and over again. It felt like it went on for hours.”

“Hmmm… Y’know, I want to commiserate and be supportive, but I don’t think we have ‘basketball’ in the Commonwealth,” said Piper.

“It’s a game.”

Piper rolled her eyes. “Yeah, that much I gathered.”

Blue exhaled loudly. “… Well, the basic idea is simple, I think – you just bounce a ball around and try to throw it into a hoop. There are rules, and stuff, but I don’t know most of them. Sports were never really my thing.”

“That definitely sounds like something you’d suck at.”

The redhead huffed. “You sound _just_ like my dream-teammates. They were horrible people, I’ll have you know. You’re supposed to be on _my_ side.”

“Oh, I’m always on your side, Blue.”

Blue tilted her head to look up at her. Piper would’ve happily kissed her, then, morning breath or not. The bruise on her cheek was already faded, too, she noticed.

Instead, Blue just beamed at her. “I know you are.”

Piper wrinkled her nose. “Oof, you weren’t kidding. Your breath is absolutely foul.”

Blue moaned. “Ugh, you don’t have to rub it in… Go get me my toothbrush, then. Geez.”

A tentative knock sounded at the door.

“Ladies? You awake?”

Youthful, high-pitched. Adam, then.

“Yeah, we’re up, but not decent,” Piper warned.

“Saul says we need to look at Dr. Moss’ wound and change the bandage. Will you come out when you’re able?”

“Sure thing,” Piper agreed.

Blue sat up on the bed and turned her back, carefully lifting up her shirt to expose the large bandage. “Piper... I know this is a gross thing to ask, but… would you mind…? I’d much rather you than…”

“Of course,” Piper replied quickly. “Let’s see…”

“I guess it’d be easier if I…”

Blue lifted her shirt up over her head and tossed it aside. Blushing furiously, she quickly tied her hair up into a bun while Piper fumbled with the bandages wrapped around her middle. The brownish-red stains got more and more pronounced as she unwound the soiled cloth.

“Am I hurting you?” Piper asked, concerned.

Blue shook her head. “No. It really doesn’t hurt at all, anymore. But it feels really strange… Stiff, and a little numb.”

Piper stifled a gasp as the last of the bandage fell away.

“That bad, huh…?” Blue asked.

“The opposite, actually,” Piper marveled. It wasn’t exactly pretty – the skin was still red and raw, and as Saul had predicted, there was a nasty scar across her lower back, but considering how grim it had looked yesterday, this was about a one thousand percent improvement. Saul hadn’t been kidding about those stimpaks. She’d done about a month’s worth of healing in one night.

“The wound is closed up. It’s not completely healed, but… Wow.”

“Really!?” She was giddy, now, her near-nakedness clearly forgotten in the face of curiosity. “That’s amazing! Let me see!”

Blue swung her legs over the side of the bed, and in her eagerness to get to the bathroom mirror, she snagged her feet in the pair of cargo pants she’d warned Piper not to trip over the night before. She staggered forward into Piper’s arms like a newborn giraffe and almost took both of them to the ground.

“Can you be careful, for once in your life?” Piper admonished. “If you break that wound open, I’ll give you another one.”

Blue smiled sheepishly. “Sorry.”

She made a show of walking carefully the rest of the way. Piper just stood behind her and stared at her backside until she disappeared into the bathroom. If Blue was going to frolic around in her underwear, Piper obviously couldn’t help but admire the view.

“Well, I needn’t have bothered,” Blue declared in a clipped voice, seconds later. “I don’t have my glasses, so I can’t see anything. It just looks like a big red blurry smear.”

Piper snickered. “Maybe Saul found them. They’ve gotta be around somewhere.”

“Unless they got smashed,” came her muttered reply.

“Is that a glass-half-empty I hear rattling around in there?” Piper teased. “Who are you and what have you done with Blue?”

“I was just excited to see it!” Blue complained. “Toss me my shirt, will you? Anyway, this kind of high-impact medical technology was extremely expensive, cutting-edge battlefield tech, back in my time. But even then, we didn’t have anything that could heal _this_ quickly!”

“I didn’t realize _we_ did, either,” said Piper. “Just another priceless technological advancement hoarded away by the Institute, I guess. Can you imagine? How utterly unexpected.”

“Oh, shush, you. Debbie Downer. There has to be a way to mass produce it. See, this is why it’s good that we’re getting involved! That’s one worthy goal already!”

“They shouldn’t need us to explain the concept of common decency to them,” Piper complained.

“Madison doesn’t. She always agreed with me that the Institute was too selfish. Anyway, finish getting dressed and let’s go see Saul and Adam. I’m sure they’re sick of waiting for us.”

The common area of the cabin was downright cozy in the light of day. Sparsely furnished, but cozy. The sitting area featured an ancient-looking couch, a pair of mismatched chairs, and a coffee table covered in old magazines. There was even a framed painting on the wall above the sofa, a portrait of… a fox? Or a very unfortunately-shaped cat. It was absolutely hideous, but it was still artwork, she supposed. She’d never claimed to be an art critic.

Saul sat by himself at the kitchen table, tinkering with his medical supplies, and Adam sat on the couch, engrossed in whatever book he was reading.

“I still don’t understand,” Adam was saying as Blue closed the bedroom door behind them.

“You won’t, without the experience,” Saul replied, filling a syringe and only halfway paying attention.

“Then I want to try,” said Adam, resolutely. He closed the book with an audible _snap._

“You can’t, Adam,” said Saul, in a gentle voice. “We’re synths, remember? We can’t have children the way humans can.”

 “I could have a wife, though,” Adam insisted. “Or a husband. Should I have a wife, or a husband?”

Saul smiled at his companion. “That’s entirely up to you. And we’ll discuss this later – our friends are awake.”

He turned his smile upon the two of them, and Piper was once again struck by his appearance. He really was gorgeous – tall, dark-skinned, and broad-shouldered, with striking, deeply masculine features and a smile that seemed intentionally engineered to break hearts. Maybe it _had_ been, knowing the Institute. His coarse head of jet black hair looked fashionably unkempt, as though its slight asymmetry were a stylistic decision.

“First, take these.” He placed Blue’s wire-rimmed glasses into her outstretched hand, much to her delight. Blue had to crane her neck to look up at him; he towered over her by more than a foot.

“Oh, thank goodness.” She breathed a sigh of relief. “I was worried they got smooshed.”

“No such bad luck. Adam found them on the porch, last night.”

“Well, then, thank you, Adam!” she exclaimed, with a bright smile for the other synth.

“I looked through the lenses, but they made everything blurry,” Adam confessed. “Saul explained how they work. It’s fascinating, but shouldn’t you consider having your eyes replaced instead? We have the technology.”

“That kind of procedure would be reserved for extreme cases. I think she’d prefer to keep her own eyes,” said Saul, giving the other synth a look of mild consternation.

“Can confirm,” said Blue. She was still smiling, though.

“Oh. Sorry.” Adam gave her a bashful grin. “I guess that suggestion was a little crude? I hope I didn’t give you the wrong idea. You have very beautiful green eyes, Dr. Moss. Even if they _are_ functionally inadequate.”

Saul sighed and shook his head, but Blue didn’t seem to be bothered. She’d started giggling uncontrollably at ‘functionally inadequate.’

“Please ignore him. Here, you take this.” Addressing Piper, he handed her a filled syringe and an alcohol-doused cloth. “It’ll help with her pain and stiffness. I’ll give you another stimpak when we get to the boat.”

He turned to Blue. “You feeling all right? How’s your pain?”

Blue grinned. “Never better! It doesn’t hurt at all.”

“It probably needs to be re-wrapped,” said Piper. “She did say that it feels stiff. But you were right – the wound is pretty much closed up. It’s pretty incredible.”

“We can re-bandage it now,” Saul continued. “I’ll help, if you need it, but I wouldn’t wish to presume. You two should eat something, too. All we’ve got are travel rations, I’m afraid, but they’re not too bad. You need some protein in your system, Dr. Moss. Your body is working overtime right now, healing itself.”

“It’s just ‘Evie,’ please,” she corrected, as Piper wiped down a spot on her upper arm with the disinfecting cloth. “And I’m fine, really. I’ll eat something on the way. Ow!”

Piper had stabbed her with the syringe. “Sorry.”

“It felt like you _enjoyed_ that,” Blue complained, rubbing her upper arm.

“Maybe a little,” Piper teased.

After a short delay to re-bandage Blue’s back, the small party of four (plus Hermes) left the cabin behind. They ate as they walked – chewy, dense protein bars that had _very_ clearly been engineered for nutritional value rather than taste. Blue almost gagged on hers, declaring that it was like eating a ‘urinal cake,’ whatever that was, but Saul and Piper bullied her into eating the whole thing.

The hilly, forested terrain soon gave way to sandy wetlands the closer they came to the coast. Saul led them on a winding path through the marshland, carefully avoiding any signs of civilization. It was hot, sticky, and slow going, avoiding all the roads and schlepping cross country, but it was necessary. They weren’t quite within range of the Castle’s regular patrols, and the last thing they wanted was to run into more trouble this close to their destination.

Piper found herself walking alongside Saul for much of the trip, as Adam had proved eager to pepper the pre-war engineer with all sorts of questions. Blue was clearly happy to answer them, though. The blond-haired synth seemed to share Blue’s sense of boundless curiosity, which Piper found a little alarming. That was the _last_ aspect of Blue’s personality that needed additional encouragement. 

“So what’s your story?” Piper asked Saul. “You seem like you’ve got a lot of worldly experience. Deep cover operative? The ol’ ‘synth replacement’ deal?”

“That’s what I was originally intended for,” Saul acknowledged. “Adam and I were both repurposed, though. I never actually left the Institute until we relocated.”

‘Relocated’ was a very understated way of rephrasing ‘forced out of our home by a massive explosion,’ but Piper made no comment on it.

“So your memories…” She hesitated, suddenly unsure if she was being too nosy or offensive. Probably both, but that had never stopped her before.

“I don’t mind you asking,” Saul assured her. “I’d be curious, too. To answer your question – I still have the memories they implanted, but I’m able to separate them from my own.”

Just like Nick, then. Slimy Institute bastards.

“Weren’t you angry?” she demanded. “That they made you just to _replace_ somebody, and tried to overwrite whatever personality you would’ve had with something else, just so you could ‘blend in’ and do what _they_ wanted?”

Saul nodded, meeting her indignant glare with his own dispassionate one. “Of course. I had my agency taken away. Anger was a natural response to that.”

“Then why stay and help them?”

“There are a number of reasons, I suppose. First and foremost, I believe in Director Li’s vision. We are no longer a military or even paramilitary organization. Synths are no longer used as tools – those of us who chose to remain are equal partners now, not thralls.”

“And you just forgive them? For everything they put you through?”

“Forgive? No. Not exactly. But I understand. It was immoral, what they did, both to us and to the people of the Commonwealth, but all of the actions that the leadership took were in service to noble goals. Progress is always messy.”

“So killing people and _replacing_ them, that’s fine if it’s in service to some lofty ideal?”

Saul shook his head. “I didn’t mean to suggest that. But take me, for example. The man I was meant to replace was soon to die of an undiagnosed terminal illness. He would’ve been brought back to the Institute and treated, with the expectation that he would either assist in the development of a cure or even be cured himself. We might’ve eradicated a disease that’s already killed hundreds, if not thousands of people.”

“So what happened to him?”

“I don’t know. The revolt threw the Institute into disarray before the mission could take place. He is likely dead now.”

Piper sighed. “Do me a favor and don’t mention that to Blue. She blames herself for enough things as it is.”

“Of course,” he agreed. “I can understand that. It isn’t her fault, though. And she’s in for quite a reception, once we reach Elysium – most of my kind revere Dr. Moss as something of a hero.”

“Do you?” Piper asked.

“Oh, absolutely.” He smiled at her. “Throughout the entire conflict, she fought for us at every turn, even at great personal risk. We watched her risk her life a hundred times over and defy her own flesh and blood, her own _child_ , on our behalf – on behalf of people that she barely knew – just because she felt it was the right thing to do. Your friend is a very rare person, Miss Wright. Without her intervention, I quite literally _would not be_ the man I am now. I would follow her into hell itself.”

“So would I,” Piper replied. She definitely couldn’t argue with any of that.

She cast her gaze in Blue’s direction, further up ahead of them. Judging by Blue’s body language, she was excited to be this close to the beach, which was unsurprising, given how much Piper knew she loved the ocean. She smiled and laughed easily, chatting with Adam about who-knows-what. The wind had picked up, too, threatening to pull her hair out of its bun. They were definitely almost there; she could hear the water, now.

“The two of you are very close,” Saul observed.

“… Yes,” Piper acknowledged. Hopefully even closer, after today. Her stomach fluttered at the thought, but she found that her determination hadn’t wavered. It was definitely still happening.

“I won’t let anything happen to her that is in my power to prevent. You have my word,” he promised.

Piper met his eyes and found his expression to be quite serious. Clearly, he meant business, though she could hardly have doubted him, considering recent events.

She gave him a grateful nod. “Thank you… You’ve already done plenty. You and Adam, both. I’m not sure I’ve actually thanked him, yet.”

“I can assure you that he won’t mind. He gets distracted easily.”

“He and Blue will get along famously, then.”

Saul chuckled. “They already seem to be. But I should ask – be patient with him, if you would. He’s a bit… unique, as far as synths go.”

“How so?”

“When he was reassigned, there was a catastrophic failure with his core programming. This was about a year ago, I think. Rather than decommission him entirely, Robotics and BioScience treated the failure as something of an opportunity. Adam as you see him now is the result of an initiative called Project Tabula Rasa. The idea was simple – to study how the synthetic mind would develop on its own, without any prescriptive programming.”

Piper stared, confused. “So… he has _no_ knowledge base to draw from? Like, _at all_?”

Saul shook his head. “Oh, no, he has a rudimentary knowledge base – he understands enough about how things work to interact with the world around him. He just has no artificial preconceptions, or inhibitions, or anything to prevent him from making his own choices and drawing his own conclusions. In a sense, he’s the first synth that is truly ‘free.’ His personality, his emotional responses, his likes, dislikes, desires… no one gave them to him. They are all completely his own, developed through experience, and constantly evolving. You’ll find him to be full of questions.”

“Yeah, I think Blue’s already discovered that.”

Saul chuckled again. “I’ve been meaning to ask… why do you call her ‘Blue’? It seems an odd choice. I would’ve thought ‘Red’ would make more sense, in her case.”

“That’d work, too,” Piper agreed, with a smile. “It’s from when we first met. Her circumstances were… a bit unique, as I’m sure you know. With her being on ice and all? She just rolled into town one day, covered in dust, without a single cap to her name… nothing but one of those blue Vault Dweller jumpsuits. I started calling her ‘Blue’ before I ever learned her name, and I guess... I dunno. It just stuck. Hopefully she doesn’t mind. She never actually wears that jumpsuit anymore, and I don’t think I ever really considered the possibility that she didn’t like the nickname. That was… actually pretty selfish of me.”

“It’s my understanding that we don’t get to choose our nicknames.”

“That’s true,” Piper agreed. “If it sticks, you’re stuck with it. I didn’t make the rules.”

“You guys hurry up!” Blue shouted. “I can see the ocean!”

She and Saul caught up with the other two at the crest of a small hill, and there it was: the Atlantic Ocean, in all its glory, stretching as far as the eye could see. Well, as far as the land’s geometry would allow her to see, anyway – they’d emerged into a well-concealed little cove, hemmed in by high, rocky cliffs on both sides. A good place to hide the boat, for sure. She spotted it off a goodly distance to their right, snugged up against an old pier. Even from so far away, it still looked bigger than she’d pictured.

“It’s beautiful,” Blue breathed.

Piper had been to a few beaches around Boston in her life, but nowhere like this, a place so undisturbed and unmarred by the ruins of civilization. The only manmade things in sight were the boat and that old pier; everything else was sand, sea, and trees, and the cliffs on either side of them concealed a very wide stretch of uninterrupted beach. The sunbaked sand progressively darkened and gave way to the ever-beckoning waters of the sea, in brilliant blues and greens.

“We’ll get everything loaded up,” said Saul. “Take some time to enjoy the beach, if you’d like. We’ll have to wait for the tide before we can get the boat out to sea. Should be a couple of hours, from the look of it.”

“Where are we going, anyway? I just realized that I have no idea,” said Piper. Blue was already kicking off her shoes and socks.

“An island about two days’ distance from here by boat,” Saul answered. “This is kind of a roundabout way of getting there, since we’ll have to go all the way around Cape Cod, but it’s much safer than going by land. No one will bother us out at sea.”

Looking out into the vastness of that ocean, two days seemed like an ominously long time. Would they even be able to see land, while they were out there? How big would the waves get? How much actual experience did Saul have with driving the boat, or sailing it, or whatever? He must’ve sailed it here, at least… Could she ask any of these questions now without sounding like a complete wuss?

“I’m sure we’ll be fine,” she said, more to herself than anyone else. “Assuming we don’t…like… _capsize,_ or something. Or get lost at sea, or spring a leak, or… or… okay, apparently I’m a little afraid of boats.”

 _Will there be sharks?_ she wondered. _There’ll be sharks. The boat’s going to flip over into a big pile of sharks and we’ll all be eaten and die. Well, that_ DEFINITELY _settles it. I am_ not _letting a shark eat me before I get to make out with Blue. You can just wait in line, sharks. I’ve got things to do._

“Race you to the water!” Blue shouted, breaking into a run.

“You’re in good hands, I promise,” Saul assured her, as they watched Blue speed toward the beach in an awkward sprint. “It’s perfectly safe.”

“I’ll have to take your word for it,” said Piper, bending over to unlace her boots.

“You going after her?” Saul asked.

Piper cast her boots and socks aside, turning her gaze toward the ocean. And the beautiful woman running toward it.

“Yeah. I am. See you guys in a bit,” she replied, her stomach a mess of flapping butterflies.

_This is it. I’m really going to do this._

At first, she thought Blue had definitely had the right idea in taking her shoes off. Every step Piper took kicked sand every which way – her boots would’ve been filled to bursting in about twenty steps. The sand became scorching hot on her feet about halfway to the edge of the water, though, and she was forced to jog the rest of the way to avoid getting burned. In no time at all, her long, black hair was dripping with sweat and cooking her scalp like a Dutch oven. She took the last few feet in an awkward skip, plunging her lava-hot feet into the sea, dark and foamy and bracingly cold.

Blue had perched herself on a large rock out on the edge of the water, dangling her bare feet out into the foam as the waves broke against it. Her dark red bun clung to the back of her neck, soaked through with sweat, with a few wavy wisps that had managed to escape clinging wetly to her freckled cheeks. She looked more relaxed than Piper had seen her in a long time. And absolutely, breathtakingly gorgeous.

It took a moment for Piper’s ears to make it out over the sound of the ocean and the gulls wheeling overhead, but as she came nearer and nearer to the rock, she realized that Blue was singing to herself.

“Almost Heaven, West Virginia  
Blue Ridge Mountains, Shenandoah River…

Life is old there, older than the trees  
Younger than the mountains, blowing like a breeze…”

Piper scooted up next to her on the rock.

“I win,” said Blue.

“I wasn’t racing,” Piper retorted. “Don’t stop singing. I love it when you sing.”

“Don’t make me blush. I’m already burning up as it is.”

“Me, too. I had to run halfway here just to keep the soles of my feet from burning off.”

Blue sighed contentedly and leaned her head against Piper’s shoulder. “It’s so beautiful here, isn’t it? I wish we could stay longer.”

Piper closed her eyes as a cool breeze danced across her face. It _was_ beautiful, but she couldn’t really focus on that with her stomach currently doing somersaults, and she wasn’t sure if Blue’s head on her shoulder made things easier or more difficult. She wanted to say something, to bridge the silence, but the longer it stretched on, the more frantic she became to come up with the perfect words to fill it. Nothing came. Her mind kept going blank, as if it were a chalkboard with someone standing over it with an eraser.

“I wish there were more places like this,” said Blue, providing Piper with a blessed reprieve. “Places where you can forget everything that’s happened, even if it’s just for a moment. This place probably doesn’t look any different now than it did two centuries ago, you know?”

“I… yeah, I’m sure you’re right,” Piper managed.

Blue lifted her head up then, turning to meet Piper’s eyes. Her face was open and full of concern. “Piper… Will you talk to me?”

“Wh-… What do you mean?” she asked, well and truly scrambling now.

 _She looks_ worried. _What is she..?_

“I know I’m not the most perceptive person in the world, but I can tell something’s been bothering you. Whatever it is… you know you can tell me, right? You can tell me anything.”

Piper’s mouth went dry. Those big green eyes were wide and earnest, and, well… wow. She couldn’t have even imagined a better opportunity than this. It’d be almost criminal to waste it.

That image flashed back across her mind: the first time she’d seen this face, when Blue had stumbled upon the gates to Diamond City on the first day they’d met. A relic of the distant past in that dusty blue jumpsuit, a haunted, tentative smile belying all that pain concealed behind her desperate and frightened eyes... If only Piper had known, then, on that first day, how thoroughly this small, unassuming person would turn her life upside down. In this moment, her life before Blue just felt like a distant, hazy memory; in this moment, nothing and no one else existed – just this maddening, delightful woman and those sparkling bright green eyes.

She felt her lips form the words.

It was as if she were standing right on the edge of a cliff, slowly leaning forward, inches away from falling…

She bent her knees, threw caution to the wind…

 And jumped.

“I’m in love with you.”

There. Done. Easy peasy.

Blue blinked and opened her mouth to speak, but no words came out for a long moment.

“Did I… wait, did you say…?”

“I’m in love with you,” Piper repeated. “I said that. Out loud.”

She had no idea how she’d _expected_ that admission to feel, but in reality, it was like a lead weight being lifted off of her middle, allowing her to finally breathe. She felt feather-light and apt to float away, carried by the gentle breeze right on out to sea...

“I… with _me..?_ ” Blue repeated, her cheeks a deep, fiery shade of crimson. “I… I don’t…”

…and as quickly as that, Piper’s heart plummeted right out of her chest. All of her momentary relief vanished in an instant, replaced with an overpowering and sinking dread.

Her mind scrambled. “Oh God, I was afraid of this…. Blue, I’m so, so sorry, please just forget I said anything, please don’t let my big mouth ruin everything –

“Stop,” Blue commanded, in a quavering voice. “Just… give me a second to…”

 _I shouldn’t have said anything, I_ knew _I shouldn’t have said anything…_

Her heart nearly stopped as trembling fingers gently brushed her cheek. She was rooted in place, scarcely daring to breathe.

“I just… I can’t… I can’t believe you…” Blue stammered, her voice fraught with emotion. “I never imagined that you could ever… or _would_ ever… I thought I was going crazy. But _you_ love…?”

“Blue… Please… What are you saying..?” Piper asked, reaching for Blue’s hand.

Blue grabbed it and squeezed, hard.

“It took me a long time to really understand what I was feeling,” Blue started… and Piper’s poor heart finally relaxed, filling her with a blooming warmth that spread through her veins like wildfire, all the way to the tips of her toes.

_This is real. Oh my God, this is real. It’s going to happen. We’re finally…_

“I’ve never had anyone like you in my life before,” Blue continued, staring out toward the ocean, still squeezing Piper’s hand as if she were afraid that Piper would let go. “You helped me so many times when you had nothing to gain from it… stood by my side and defended me when any reasonable person would’ve just left me behind… You were my guardian angel, Piper, but it wasn’t just that. Growing up, I always heard people talk about their ‘best friend’ this, or their ‘best friend’ that, and I never really understood what that was like until I found you. It was like… I’d found my other half, or something. I know that sounds trite and horrible, but I can’t help it, that’s how I felt. How I still feel. It makes me happy just being around you. Eventually, it… it became hard for me to be away from you. That scared me, at first, but then I realized… I… I’m sorry, I just… I can’t believe this is real…”

“Neither can I,” Piper breathed, her voice full of wonder. “Would it help to know that I’m freaking out just as much as you are?”

Blue barked a nervous laugh. “Yes. I guess it does. But, Piper, I… why me? You deserve someone who… someone who has it together, someone _strong_ , someone who’ll really sweep you off your feet and…”

“My feet haven’t touched the ground in years, Blue,” Piper replied in a soft voice. “And I don’t want anyone else. Not in a million years. I want _you_. God, are you really gonna make _me_ be the confident one?”

“I’ve never been with another woman before,” Blue blurted.

“Neither have I.”

“But you want…”

“Yes. I absolutely do. But only if _you’re_ sure, I don’t want to pressure you into…”

Her brain had the barest moment to register the movement of Blue’s head before she felt the gentle press of soft, full lips against her own.

“Wait, give me a second…” Blue pulled back so that she could take her glasses off with trembling hands.

Piper didn’t give her long.

Her eyes fluttered shut and then she was sliding a hand in behind Blue’s sweaty bun at the nape of her neck and pulling her closer, kissing Blue as deeply as she could manage, kissing her until her head was spinning and she couldn’t breathe. She tasted like salt, and sweat, mixed with the barest hint of that nasty protein bar, but that might as well have been ambrosia. Blue was laughing against her lips, laughing with a full-throated, infectious glee that made Piper’s heart swell with joy.

“What’s so funny, you goober?” Piper asked, giggling along with her as she tried to catch her breath.

“Nothing,” Blue replied, stealing another kiss as they both gasped for air. Piper returned it eagerly. “I’m just happy. Don’t mind me.”

Piper laughed with her. “That makes two of us… _God_ , Blue…”

_Wake me up. Someone pinch me. Or kick me in the head._

Blue reached up and cupped her cheek. “Just so we start this thing on even footing: I love you, too, Piper. I’ve loved you for ages.”

Piper returned the gesture, her chest full to bursting and her eyes prickling with happy tears.

_I know you love me. You told me last night while you were stoned. But no need to bring that up, I suppose._

“Show me,” Piper breathed.

They kissed again, a long, slow kiss that made Piper’s toes curl and left her completely breathless. Tongues were involved. She nearly fell right off the rock. When their lips finally broke apart, Blue wrapped her slim arms around Piper’s waist and pulled her close in a tight, affectionate hug, and for a long moment, the pair of them just clung to one another as the waves broke around them.

So much fear, so much uncertainty, so much misery and frustration… all gone in an instant, just washed away. She was in the arms of the woman she loved, this beautiful, brilliant, fierce redhead who, flying in the face of all logic and reason, loved _her_ in return…

_Okay. Bring on the sharks. All good now._

 “…do you think we’ll have our own room on the boat?” Blue asked, in a tone of voice that Piper had _never_ heard come out of her mouth before. It made Piper’s hair stand on end.

“Ummm… why do you ask, Dr. Moss?”

“... Reasons.” Blue’s cheeks were burning crimson, and she suddenly looked away, mortified. “I… oh my God, what has gotten _into_ me!? I swear I’m not normally like this! If you want to wait, then of course we’ll… I can’t believe I even…”

“Mbuh… Uhm…!” Piper babbled, her brain desperately attempting to form words. “Can we…uh…”

She closed her eyes and took a deep breath, willing herself to focus. “Can we table this conversation until we’re alone, in an _inside_ place? Because if you start talking about sex, then I’ll start _thinking_ about sex, and then I can’t promise I’m gonna be able to keep my hands off of you. And as much as I like Saul and Adam, the only person I want seeing me naked is you. Assuming you want to, that is. See me naked. Because you totally can.”

She snapped her mouth shut and gave Blue a rueful grin. _Well, that was smooth. And ladylike._

Blue burst out laughing. “I’m glad nobody’s listening to us right now.”

“Uh… yeah. I think I’ve said some stuff that might be pretty difficult to live down,” Piper agreed.

“OK,” said Blue. “Conversation tabled. So we should head over to the boat and see if we can help. And see what the rooming situation is going to be, because we _will_ be finishing this conversation and I want you all to myself tonight. I hope that’s not selfish.”

Piper’s cheeks burned. “You could stand to be selfish for once in your life. But I’m all yours, Blue.”

The pair of them slid off the rock and dropped ankle-deep into the rapidly-encroaching sea. They walked side by side, just like normal, except that Blue immediately reached out and took her hand. It was such an innocent gesture of affection, but even _that_ was enough to get Piper’s heart racing.

She was still kind of in shock, like she was expecting to wake up at any moment, but _no_. This was real. Not a dream, and not a fantasy. Real. She had kissed her best friend, and hadn’t managed to ruin anything at all! It was _good_ , _so_ good, absolutely perfect, really… She squeezed Blue’s hand, and felt her lover squeeze back. Her _lover_ … Well, maybe not yet, not exactly, but maybe tonight…..

They walked on, hand-in-hand, toward the boat rocking up against the pier in the rising tide. It looked plenty big enough. Not that she had any actual knowledge upon which to base that half-assed assessment.

_There had better be a bed. And a door with a lock. For… like Blue said. Reasons._

“Race you to the boat!”

Blue released her hand and leapt up the stairs to the pier two at a time, turning back to favor Piper with a blissful smile.

Piper grinned right back. “You’re on.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Goodness... This was HARD. I've never written anything like this before, and I'm super self-conscious about it, so if you've got criticisms... please be nice. :) And sorry for the Fallout: 76 reference. I couldn't resist. The trailer gave me goosebumps.
> 
> That said... I enjoyed writing this one, a lot, as I'm sure you can imagine. It didn't turn out exactly like I thought it would, but then again, nothing ever does. Thanks again for reading! More to come soon. :)


	10. High

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So... note the rating change. I changed it just to be safe, and I'd be remiss if I didn't warn you. This kinda got away from me. And I am super sorry if that's not your thing! I didn't realize it was mine, either, but... blame Piper and Blue. They insisted. I don't make the rules. :P

It didn’t end up being much of a race, as fate would have it; the pier proved to be a bit narrower than it had looked from a distance, so of course their feet got tangled up together and Piper had to catch Blue to keep her from stumbling over face first onto the floor. _God,_ the woman was clumsy. Not much of a contest, then, but she received a quick peck on the lips and a coy giggle for her gallantry, so… worth it. They walked the rest of the way single file, to avoid further incidents.

_She kissed me._

Piper could still scarcely believe it. None of it felt real; not yet, anyway. She was floating, drifting, grinning ear to ear.

_She said ‘I love you.’ Me and Blue. Blue and me. Evie and Piper. We’re…_

Her thoughts were bubbling up faster than she could pin them down. So many questions! What would they tell Nat? They couldn’t exactly lie to her. Maybe she suspected already? And how long had Blue felt this way without speaking up? Had they been struggling together for days, weeks, and months, both of them too afraid to say anything? That would’ve been almost funny if it didn’t make her want to cry.

How would this change things? She’d never fallen in love with her best friend before, after all. It went without saying that this would alter their relationship dynamic. Hopefully, everything that changed would be for the better. Good changes. Sexy changes. Wait, would they have sex tonight? Oh my god, would they have _sex tonight!?_ Did Blue really want to? She’d brought it up, on the beach! What would it be like, having sex with another woman? Having sex with _Blue?!_

“It looks even bigger up close,” said Blue.

Piper blinked. “Huh?”

“This huge ship. Right in front of us. Earth to Piper.” Blue smiled at her and poked her in the stomach.

“Hey!” Piper poked her back. “Excuse _me_ for being a little distracted! Life’s been coming at me pretty fast here recently!”

Blue batted her eyelashes and struck a faux-seductive pose. “Oh, am I distracting you?” She pitched her voice an octave lower, possibly going for ‘sultry’, but the resulting affectation made Piper laugh out loud.

“Yes, that’s definitely distracting,” she replied, layering her voice with sarcasm.

_You are, though. If you only knew how much._

“You guys okay down there?” Adam called.

“Fine!” Blue called back. “Just admiring your boat! It’s gigantic!”

Piper had to agree. She wasn’t sure what the legitimate terminology would be for this thing, but ‘boat’ didn’t really do it justice. ‘Boats’ were for sailing. They could be pushed. Or row, row, rowed, gently down the stream. This monstrosity? There was a freaking _ladder_ at the end of the pier that they’d have to climb to even get aboard, and the whole thing was at least fifty feet long, from stern to… whatever you were supposed to call the front. Prow? That didn’t sound exactly right. Maybe it’d come to her.

Adam was sitting up there on the back railing, watching them from high above the water, his unruly mop of blond hair blowing to and fro in the steady breeze. He looked precariously close to falling off, but didn’t seem concerned about the possibility. Saul must’ve been inside – there was a huge windowed-in section in the middle that probably housed the steering wheel, or the… living quarters? On a boat? Was that even a thing?

Blue wrinkled her nose. “Wait, do you smell something?”

Piper paused, taking in a deep breath. “Smells like…” She hesitated. Wait, what _was_ that? Spicy, exotic, with a hint of sweetness, mixed in with the salty tang of the seaside air… It smelled absolutely delicious! How had she not noticed it before?

Blue gasped in sudden realization. “Oh my god, it’s teriyaki! They’re making Japanese food!”

“What, like Takahashi’s noodles? Because that does _not_ smell like Power Noodles.”

“Oh, no, that’s just ramen. This smells like Japanese takeout! Chicken teriyaki, maybe… mmm, I hope there are vegetables, the veggies are my _favorite…_ Oh, and white sauce! My goodness, I never thought I’d taste white sauce ever again!”

Piper laughed. “You’re cute when you’re excited.”

Blue bit her bottom lip and smiled at her. “Don’t make me blush, Adam’s right there…”

Piper grinned back as she stepped up onto the ladder. “No promises, doll.”

The rungs were metal, and hot to the touch. Fortunately, it was a short climb.

“Welcome aboard, ladies!”

Adam greeted the pair of them with a jovial wave, as Piper helped Blue over the railing.

“You look different,” said Adam, cocking his head at Blue inquisitively.

Blue appeared taken aback. “Hmm? What do you mean?”

“I don’t know,” the synth continued, pushing himself up from his perch and closing the distance between Blue and himself. He sounded fascinated. “Your skin is flushed… Pupils dilated… Saul, do you think something’s wrong with her? We should check her heart rate—

“Oh! No, no, I’m fine!” Blue replied, smiling brightly. “Just happy! You guys okay up here? Is that food I smell?”

“It is. Hope you like Japanese. Give me about an hour or so and everything’ll be ready,” Saul called from inside the cabin. (“I knew it!” said Blue). “Come on in, and I’ll show you guys around.”

“Where did you _get_ this thing?” Piper wondered aloud. “Wow, it’s _cool_ in here.”

“Yeah, it’s air conditioned,” Saul acknowledged, almost sounding… proud? He definitely seemed to be in his element on the boat. There was some pep in his step, now.

_That’s encouraging, I guess. At least one of us is comfortable on this thing._

“Saul’s the captain,” Adam explained.

“So you’re the First Mate?” Blue grinned.

“Like Starbuck!” said Adam, sounding exceptionally pleased with himself.

“That’s an analogy I could do without,” Blue replied. “Doesn’t the boat sink at the end?”

“What the heck are you guys talking about?” Piper wondered.

“ _Moby Dick_ ,” said Blue, giving Adam an appraising look. “You really read _Moby Dick?!_ I had to slog through that awful thing in college, and it took me _forever_ to finish it!”

“I liked it!” Adam protested. “I’ve been reading the classics. I’ve decided I have the soul of an artist.”

“Just no more poetry. Please,” Saul begged.

They walked through a pair of double doors into a large sitting room, of all things, with enough upholstered couches to seat four people. On their right was a modest but fully equipped kitchen, the stovetop currently steaming with whatever delectable food Saul was preparing for them, and on the far end, through another set of doors, was the room with the steering wheel. The bridge? That sounded right. Through the open door, she could make out a raised platform featuring the ship’s wheel and all manner of knobs and doodads that she desperately hoped Captain Saul knew how to operate correctly. There were also a pair of stairwells flanking the door to the bridge, leading downward. It was no different than an actual house, really, except that all the furniture was affixed to the walls, or the floor.

“Did the Institute build this?” Piper asked.

“Nah. This baby was abandoned in a harbor on the Vineyard – that’s the name of the island where we’re headed,” Saul explained. “Took a little work to get her seaworthy, as I understand it, but the guys in Facilities did an impressive job on her. This is the main deck, obviously. Down that left staircase is the engine room, which I’m sure we can forgo visiting unless you ladies are really interested…”

“No, that’s okay,” said Blue immediately, and if she hadn’t already confessed her love in so many words, these three would’ve done it just as well. Evie Moss, passing up a tour of a fully functional ‘engine room’? With _moving mechanical parts?_ Piper certainly knew her well enough to appreciate the magnitude of _that_ honor. It nearly brought a tear to her eye.

“Good enough,” said Saul. “Let me show you to your room, then. There’s only one that’s furnished, unfortunately, but after last night, I would assume you two are all right with sharing?”

“Yes,” they both answered simultaneously, and a little too quickly.

“I mean…” Blue stammered.

“We don’t mind. It’s totally fine,” Piper rejoined. “No problem at all.”

“I still think something’s wrong with her,” said Adam, in a worried tone. “See how red her skin looks? That’s not normal.”

“It’s just hot out there,” said Saul, unknowingly coming to their rescue. “Come on, it’s cooler downstairs.”

“I’ve never been on a boat with a ‘downstairs,’” said Blue as they descended. “This thing must’ve cost somebody a lot of money, way back when.”

“You’d be one of the only people alive who could guesstimate on exactly how much,” said Saul with a smile. “I’m sure you’re right, though.”

He pushed open a heavy-looking plastic door and extended a welcoming arm.

“After you, ladies.”

There were two beds, Piper noticed immediately – two doubles, one bolted into either wall. Of course fate would pick the one night when there was no way in hell they would be sleeping separately to actually give them the _option_. Not that it would’ve mattered to Piper in the slightest; she’d have crammed herself into a moldy cardboard box full of baby mirelurks with Blue, tonight. Fortunately, both of them were petite. A double bed would probably feel like a queen, sharing with Blue.

Two beds, wall-mounted lights, a utilitarian little chest of drawers built into the wall straight opposite the door with a large mirror mounted above it, and over on the left wall, another door stood open, leading to a bathroom.

Blue gasped audibly at the sight. “We have our own _bathroom_?”

“Yep,” Saul nodded. “Sink, toilet, and shower. It all works.”

“There’s a shower?” Piper squeaked.

He chuckled. “Yeah, I figured you’d both be excited about that. You can take your time, too. We’ve got plenty of water onboard, especially considering it’s only a two-day trip. Plus, we can recycle it.”

She met Blue’s eyes for the barest moment before they both looked away, embarrassed.

Soooo… _was_ there a lock on the door, or…?

“You guys can take turns showering now if you want. There’ll be plenty of time before the food’s ready,” Saul continued. “There are towels in the top drawer of that bureau, and we’ve already brought your bags down, so you’ll be able to change clothes… Anything else you need, while I’m here? Adam or I will knock on your door, when dinner’s done.”

“We’re good,” said Blue, still staring toward the bathroom. “Thanks. You guys are amazing.”

The two synths blessedly left them be. Piper closed the door behind them.

“It has a lock,” she said aloud, clicking it into place.

“Thank God,” Blue sighed in relief. “Adam’s definitely going to wander down here with food at some point, and it’d be just my luck that he’d walk right in on me while I’m naked.”

“So…you wanna shower first, then?” Piper asked, pulse quickening. “Do you want me to… y’know, wait outside, or…?”

“…Only if you want to,” Blue declared, looking up to meet Piper’s eyes. Her freckled cheeks were ‘beet red,’ as Blue herself might’ve put it, but she didn’t look away.

“I mean, it’s no trouble,” Piper babbled. “If you want your privacy. I mean, this is obviously a pretty new development, the whole idea of, you know, seeing each other naked, and… n-not that I don’t want to! Like, _really_ want to – like, fantasized-for-years-want-to…”

She almost groaned aloud. _Damn it, can I just have one single conversation with her without turning into a hopeless, incoherent mess? Is that too much to ask?_

“Piper.”

“…Blue?”

The look on her face… Piper wished she could’ve taken a picture. She stood rail-straight, her hands by her sides, chin poked out in defiance… Nervous, maybe, but beyond that, Piper had never seen her look more determined. Assertive. Sure of herself. Maybe even a little scary? It was the sexiest thing she’d ever seen.

“Do you trust me?”

“Of course I do…”

Blue nodded. “That’s good, then. Because I trust you, more than I’ve ever trusted anyone in my life. And I think I’m going to take a shower now, and I’ve got to get this bandage off. Will you help me? It’ll be easier if you help me.”

“Stop looking at me like that. It’s doing something to me,” Piper nearly choked, her own cheeks burning scarlet.

“Make sure the door’s locked,” Blue ordered, reaching for the hem of her shirt.

She turned to the door and double-checked. Triple-checked. It was as locked as it was possible for a door to be. When she turned back around, Blue’s shirt was gone, along with her glasses, leaving only her bra and the bandage wrapped around her middle, and she was busy fumbling with her pants. In spite of Blue’s imperious tone, her nerves were obvious – even with her own heart about to pound out of her chest, Piper could see the way the other woman’s fingers trembled, the way the red flush on her cheeks extended down her neck and across her shoulder blades. Both of them were a hot mess.

_At least it’s not just me…_

“Are you sure you’re okay?” Piper asked, wringing her hands because she had no idea what else to do with them.

“I’m really nervous,” Blue admitted, finally succeeding at getting her pants unbuttoned. She pushed them down off of her hips, and gently nudged them away with her foot. Her smooth, white legs were covered in a thin sheen of sweat. Piper’s heart continued to pound. “I’m not used to… this. You know… _sharing_ myself, this way. It’s been a really long time.”

She took two steps toward Piper and closed the distance between them.

“But I… you said you’ve imagined…? Well, I have, too,” she confessed. “And hearing you say those words to me, even as close as we are… It’s not close enough. Not anymore. I want…”

She reached up to touch Piper’s cheek with a trembling hand.

“This feels _right_ to me. And I want you to see me. All of me. Because you’re perfect, and beautiful, and I love you! Maybe it’ll feel a little weird, at first, but it’s a _good_ kind of weird, and… can I please not have to talk anymore about this, because I’m starting to weird myself out…?”

“Goodness, Blue,” Piper stammered. “I… I’ve never been called ‘perfect’ before. ‘Perfectly infuritating,’ maybe. Or ‘a perfect disaster.’ But… yes, you’re off the hook. And I love you, too, by the way.”

“You’re perfect to me,” she said, her green eyes sparkling with fierce emotion. “You _are_ , Piper. Don’t you ever doubt it.”

She turned her back and, without another word, worked the clasp of her bra loose. She shook it off her shoulders with a practiced motion, and Piper watched it drop to the carpeted floor.

“Can you help me with the bandage?”

She was all thumbs getting the adhesive off. Unwinding it proved easier, but not by much. Her hands were shaking so badly that she nearly had to take a break to recover her wits.

_Is this what love is? Reverting back into a horny teenager at the slightest bit of physical contact?_

_She’s almost completely naked. If she turned around…_

The bandage followed the bra. Blue’s clothes made a tidy little pile on the carpet at her feet.

“How does it look?” she asked, leaning slightly forward and folding her arms across her chest.

“It’s… just a scar,” Piper answered, reaching out to trace it with her finger. It was over a foot long and finger-thick, but the swelling was gone. The leathery texture of the scar tissue was such a sharp contrast to the rest of her back, soft and silky smooth.

“I’ve got a few scars already. What’s one more?” Blue mused. She turned around to face Piper, and their eyes met. “I’ve got stretch marks on my stomach, from when I had Shaun. See?”

Piper looked. They were faint, like slightly off-color stripes at the base of her stomach, but they were there. She also had a mole next to her belly button. Her stomach was deliciously taut and flat – unsurprising, considering that she sometimes forgot to eat. Piper’s greedy eyes drank in every inch of her, all the way from her dainty little feet, to those sinuous, elegant legs that had driven Piper mad for years, her slender hips, her tight little middle, and upwards, to…

Blue hesitated for only the barest moment before dropping her arms to her sides, allowing Piper’s eyes to roam over her freely.

 _Oh my god, they_ do _have freckles._

Not as many as her cheeks or shoulders, and they were paler and less pronounced, but…

_…Well. Mystery solved._

Her breasts were small, like the rest of her, but perky and delightfully feminine, with small, rosy nipples pebbling into hardness in the chilly air of the bedroom. Piper’s hands itched to touch them, to touch _all_ of her, but her eyes were drawn upward, ever upward, and atop that slender, shapely neck, was that intimately familiar face, wearing the same crooked happy-go-lucky grin as always. Those blushing, freckled cheeks, those full, pink lips begging to be kissed, those bright green eyes she’d stared into a thousand, thousand times, that messy, dark red hair slowly forcing its way out of its loose bun at the nape of her neck…

She was beautiful, and radiant, and currently driving Piper nearly rabid with lust, but beyond that, she was… just Blue. This bizarre, impossible woman who had once spent an entire day building a motorized wheelchair out of scrap parts for a complete stranger and expected nothing in return, who could reassemble the most complicated bit of old world technology without a second thought in one moment and then manage to trip over her own feet in the next, who couldn’t hit the broad side of a barn with a pistol but still never hesitated to throw herself into danger to protect her friends… She was loyal to a fault, stubborn, maddening, unwaveringly optimistic, cheerful, bubbly, and kind, this ‘Woman Out of Time’ whom Piper had initially found incredibly strange, then slowly grew to like, then admire, then love, then _Love,_ with a capital L…

She was right here, naked and completely vulnerable, looking at Piper Wright, of all people, as though she were the only person in the world.

“This day has gone rather differently than I expected,” said Blue, in a quiet voice.

Piper’s mouth was dry. She had to swallow before she could respond. “I assume that’s a good thing?”

“It’s amazing,” she replied, snaking her arms around Piper’s neck and pressing her body up close against Piper’s own. Her skin was almost hot to the touch. “It feels like a dream... but I’m getting cold. I think I’m ready for my shower.”

“Okay.”

She leaned in and pressed a kiss to the side of Piper’s neck, tilting her head up to speak directly into her ear. “So… get undressed and come on. It’s not the roomiest shower I’ve ever seen, but I think we’ll both fit.”

…. _Oh. OH. We’re gonna…_

Okay. Okay okay okay. She’d suspected that she’d be reduced to a babbling mess in this situation, and she was right.

“Oh, wow, okay, so… yeah! Oh my God, I am _so_ into that idea, although I… um… I don’t think I can quite live up to your example, Blue…”

Blue tilted her head questioningly. “What do you mean?”

Piper hesitated. “Well… just that you’re drop-dead gorgeous, and elegant, and sexy, and I’m just… ordinary. I’m kind of worried you’ll be… disappointed? Okay, wow, did I just _admit_ that? This isn’t fair, I can’t think straight with you standing there looking like that…”

She winced, completely mortified.

_Stop rambling. You’re rambling. What the hell possessed you to say that?!_

Blue just laughed, though. “I understand... That’s… how I feel, too, actually. Except… backwards. At first I just thought you were super cool, the fearless, intrepid reporter straight off of a movie screen. I really admired you… but then, later on, once I realized I was actually _attracted_ to you, I couldn’t even imagine you looking at _me_ that way… In my eyes, you’ve always been a goddess – the raven-haired femme fatale, with the courage to take on the world… and here I am, little Raggedy Ann with glasses. God, we’re hopeless, aren’t we?”

“I… I guess we are, then,” Piper stammered. Even hearing her say all these things, it was still hard to believe. “Do you seriously not realize that the entire Commonwealth is halfway in love with you, though? They’ll all probably gang up and kill me out of jealousy if they ever find out we’re…a _thing,_ now. And with good reason! You’re beautiful, and a _genius_ , and generous, and thoughtful, and… then there’s _me_ – loud, and nosy, and light-speed annoying, and are you sure this _isn’t_ a dream, because I’m starting to seriously question—

Blue shut her up with a kiss. “Even if all of that were true… I don’t belong to anyone else. I’m _yours._ And you’re…”

 _I’m kissing Blue_ , her brain kept repeating on overdrive. _I’m kissing Blue and she’s not wearing any clothes._

“I’m yours, too, Blue,” Piper breathed, her heart swelling with a surge of affection so powerful that it threatened to suffocate her on the spot. “Hopelessly, madly, irredeemably yours.”

She giggled again. “I like the sound of that.”

Piper found, once again, that she couldn’t stop smiling. “Me, too.”

With another quick peck to Piper’s lips, Blue gently pulled away. “K. I’m going to turn on the hot water for us, if you wanna… you know…”

“Get naked,” Piper finished for her. “Yeah, I am all over that. I’m gonna be _so_ naked, you just wait and see.”

She took a deep breath. _Easy, right? Nothing to it at all._ She’d done this hundreds of times. How many showers had she taken in her life, anyway? Thousands, even. And also, it wasn’t like no one had ever seen her naked before.

But… there’d been more than a teensy bit of alcohol involved, those other times. And this was _Blue._ The woman of her dreams, the person she’d _literally_ been dreaming about for what felt like forever. What if..?

_Nope. No ifs._

She gave her head a harsh shake and forced herself to make the first move, lifting her ratty old V-neck shirt up over her head and flinging it to the floor.

 _‘I’m yours,’ she says. What are you even worried about? She_ asked you _to get in the shower with her. Take your clothes off, you big dumb idiot._

She powered on through the act of disrobing until her shirt, pants, and underclothes were in a messy pile next to Blue’s. The other woman had been right – it _was_ chilly in here. She could feel her own nipples quickly grow hard, once they were exposed to the air.

Her own familiar face stared back at her out of the mirror situated above the chest of drawers. And her own naked body, in all its glory. She and Blue were of a relatively similar size, though Piper was a bit bigger in just about every way – she was slightly taller, her legs longer, her hips wider, her breasts larger. She was dark where Blue was fair, and she had far more scars, though Blue had recently overtaken her for the title of the single most impressive one, with that monstrous slash on her back. Piper’s worst one, oddly enough, wasn’t even from a fight – it was from a nasty fall she’d taken on her bike when she was a child, an unsightly gash above her right hip that had never really healed properly.

Try as she might, Piper had never really been especially comfortable in her own skin. Her butt was too flat, she had skinny ankles, her neck bones were too pronounced and stuck out like a bird’s… and with a start, she came to the additional and unpleasant realization that she hadn’t shaved since leaving the city, legs or… otherwise. Well, it was too late to do anything about it now.

Blue had her back turned, facing the shower, reaching a hand in and testing the temperature of the now-steaming water. Her hair was down, cascading past her shoulders. She’d also removed her panties, and _her_ butt wasn’t flat at all, damn her.

_‘Raven-haired goddess.’ ‘Femme fatale.’ That’s me. Her words, not mine._

She didn’t much feel like either of those things, but knowing Blue felt that way about her was emboldening, at least. Hers was the only opinion that mattered, and Piper had never known her to lie about anything. Even if she’d wanted to.

Piper’s bare feet squeaked on the bathroom floor as she walked in. Blue turned to look at her, then, and the look of unbridled desire that materialized on the other woman’s face was enough to take her breath. That was enough to make some of her nerves dissipate, being able to see how much Blue desired her. It was a very good feeling.

“So… here’s me,” said Piper, striking a jaunty little pose.

“...Hey there, gorgeous,” Blue stammered, biting her bottom lip and clasping her hands in front of her.

“Sorry if I’m a little...ummmm... hairy,” Piper winced. “Ugh, that sounded so gross… I just haven’t had a chance to shave since we left.”

 Blue actually burst out laughing. “Oh my goodness, I was going to say the exact same thing… I just wasn’t expecting… I would’ve prepared! I mean, it’s not _horrible_ or anything, but… well, you can see for yourself. I’m an open book, so to speak…”

Piper glanced down at the small mound of curly, dark red hair in between Blue’s legs.

“Mine’s way worse,” she replied immediately.

Blue rolled her eyes. “Oh, shush, you. It is not.”

“Yours is still a landing strip. It’s cute,” she insisted. “Mine looks like the Delaware River delta. I swear I normally keep it… I don’t know… _tidy_? Is that the right word?”

Blue laughed again. “Are we really comparing pubic hair?”

Piper gave her a wry grin. “Well, what else would we be doing?”

That prompted an awkward silence. Blue took the opportunity to take her first tentative step into the shower.

“The water feels good,” she offered.

“…I’ll wash your back if you wash mine,” said Piper.

Blue smiled back at her. “Deal.”

There was a bit more hesitance and uncertainty between them, at first, as Blue shifted over to make room, but once Piper stepped under the water and slipped her arms around Blue’s waist from behind, the nervous tension evaporated in an instant. Blue slid the shower door shut and whirled around, pulling Piper in for a hungry, eager kiss.

“Careful,” Piper finally managed, laughing as their lips broke apart. “You’ll fall.”

“You’ll catch me,” said Blue, planting a kiss on her cheek. “You always do.”

“That was a good line,” said Piper, doing her best to sound casual despite her racing heart. “I’d accuse you of having worked on that one ahead of time, if I didn’t know you so well.”

“It _was_ a good line, wasn’t it?” Blue agreed. “With the double meaning and everything. I’m surprised you didn’t swoon.”

Piper brushed a dripping lock of red hair out of her eyes. “You know, I never realized exactly how short you are until we added ‘making out’ to the things we do together. You really are a shrimp.”

Blue stuck out her tongue. “Oh, shut up. You’re always teasing me, and you're _barely_ taller. An inch and a half at the most.”

“More like two, and I’m not exactly a giant, either,” Piper pointed out. “I never thought _I’d_ be the tall one in a relationship.”

“Unlucky you,” Blue retorted, throwing her arms around Piper’s neck. “Poor Piper, stuck being the _tall_ one. How terribly unfortunate, however will she manage?”

“Eh, I guess you’re worth it,” Piper teased, pulling her close. Their breasts pressed together as their lips met, and _wow_ , how had she ever managed to live without _that_ sensation in her life before now?

Blue closed her eyes and turned her face up into the hot water, breathing a contented sigh.

“Mmmmm… that feels _so_ good… Think they’ll let us keep the boat? I could get used to this…”

“Who’s gonna drive it? You?” Piper snickered. “Didn’t you run over a mailman once?”

“I hit his _truck_ , I didn’t run him over," Blue corrected, slipping out of Piper’s arms as she reached for the bar of soap. “He was perfectly fine! Well… he was pretty upset, to be fair, but he wasn’t hurt or anything... I don't think. ”

Piper stared. This was utterly surreal. Here she was, standing in a shower bare-assed naked, watching a completely soaked and dripping Evie Moss scrub her arms and legs with a soapy washcloth. Also bare-assed naked. She could’ve sworn her life had been completely normal, just this morning.

_Oh, just a normal everyday chat between best friends, except hey, boobs!_

“You’ve got that faraway look in your eyes,” said Blue, eyeing her askance.

“Can you seriously blame me?” Piper protested. “You’re literally naked right in front of me. I can’t stop staring at you.”

“Oh, is it okay to stare? I’ve been trying not to,” said Blue.

Piper scoffed at her. “Why?”

“I dunno, I thought I was being rude…”

She had to laugh. “Oh, Blue… Love, you can stare all you want. That’s… kind of the idea, isn’t it? It’s one of the perks of this arrangement – when I’m naked in front of you, you’re allowed to look.”

“And touch…?” Blue asked, resting her hands on Piper’s shoulders.

“And touch,” Piper agreed.

Blue leaned up and kissed her again.

“Then, can I…?”

Blue was holding up the other washcloth with a questioning look. Asking for permission.

“Mmmhmm.” Piper nodded.

She closed her eyes and let Blue’s hands and lips roam, gently scrubbing at her skin, starting with her face and working her way down, leaving nowhere untouched. Blue’s caresses were gentle and curious, her small hands and soft lips exploring Piper’s body tenderly, carefully, finding every sensitive little bundle of nerves to make Piper shiver with delight, as her pulse steadily quickened with arousal. It wouldn’t have taken much – she’d been doing her best to keep herself in check, but this was _way_ too intense. A distant, faraway part of her was grateful for the water cascading down her front to hide the rapidly-growing wetness pooling in the hair between her thighs.

At some point – she had no idea when – Blue discarded the cloth, pressing her body close against Piper’s own and forcing her up against the back wall of the shower, and Piper was more than content to let herself be handled. She felt Blue’s lips on her neck, and on her shoulder, as her hands explored Piper’s hips, her breasts, her lower back… It was the most erotic thing she’d ever experienced in her life, and as Blue’s lips closed over her left nipple, she felt her fingers ensnare themselves in Blue’s hair as an involuntary hiss escaped her throat.

“Blue…” she stammered. “This is… oh my _God_ …”

“Oh, is this not okay?” Blue yelped, jerking herself rigid and upright, splashing water everywhere. “I’m sorry, I didn’t mean to overstep—

“ _’_ Overstep’!?” Piper cried. “Don’t you dare stop!!”

Blue’s worried frown was quickly displaced by a heavy sigh of relief. “Oh… good, then? I was worried… I had no idea what I was doing, but if it felt good, then…”

“ _Yes, it felt good_ ,” Piper nearly moaned.

“Do you… want me to keep going?” Blue asked.

“ _Yes_.”

She swallowed visibly, her cheeks a vibrant shade of crimson. “Okay…so…”

Piper gasped as she felt a soft, trembling hand press up against her sex. She angled her hips into the touch, inviting it closer, all dignity forgotten.

“You know I’ve never…” Blue started. “You’ll have to guide me. I know what _I_ like, but…”

“You don’t have to if you don’t want…”

“I _do_ want,” Blue replied, resolute. Her hand between Piper’s legs was searching, probing, exploring, and when she found what she was looking for and started making small, deliberate circles, Piper was already so far gone that she nearly lost her footing.

“ _Christ…! Evie!”_

“Tell me… show me what you like.” Blue leaned in close, murmuring into her ear. “I want… I want to make you feel good…”

It might’ve been slow going if Piper hadn’t already been so close. Blue’s touches were inexperienced and uncertain, even with Piper providing her with awkward instructions, and shower sex was kind of an awkward experience anyway even under the most favorable circumstances. Piper slipped and almost fell when Blue first slipped a tentative finger inside of her, which made both of them start giggling madly, but honestly, this was exactly how she would’ve expected sex with Blue to be. They were both giggly, and clumsy, and buoyant and in love, and maybe it wasn’t exactly like something out of a romance novel, but she wouldn’t have had it any other way.

Even so, she could feel her release building to a crescendo as Blue’s hand found a steady rhythm, and when she finally climaxed, she had to bite her lip to keep from screaming. Her skin was on fire; her back arched against the shower wall as her center quaked frenziedly around Blue’s fingers and her thighs clinched together like a vise; a tremulous, plaintive moan of pure ecstasy escaped her throat as her entire body quivered like a leaf in a storm. She felt her fingernails digging furrows into Blue’s back and was dimly aware that she was probably hurting her, but Blue didn’t utter a word of protest. She covered Piper’s face in kisses, her hand still gently working between her lover’s legs, guiding Piper through the aftershocks of the most shattering orgasm of her entire life. If someone had asked Piper her name in that moment, she would’ve answered incorrectly.

They clung to one another as Piper slowly came down, both of them nearly out of breath. The water felt almost oppressively hot, now.

“Can we get out now?” Piper whimpered. “I can’t feel my legs.”

Blue giggled. “I don’t think I can carry you! You’ll have to at least make it to the bed.”

“Please don’t try,” Piper begged, laughing in spite of herself. “You’re definitely not authorized to attempt that.”

The water had been scorching, but it only took her about ten seconds of being out in the chilly air of the bedroom before her skin was covered in gooseflesh. The best she could do was to give herself a good once-over with her towel, wrap it around her dripping hair, and collapse into bed, pulling the covers all the way up to her chin.

“Scoot over,” said Blue.

Piper complied. Blue’s skin was still pleasantly warm from the shower, and their unclothed bodies sought one another like magnets, fitting together like pieces of a puzzle.

“So… did I do okay?” Blue asked, sliding her arms up Piper’s back.

“I think you broke me,” Piper replied.

Blue sniggered, planting a languid kiss on Piper’s cheek, as Piper turned her head to meet Blue’s lips and kiss her back. They were already getting more practiced at this, she realized – their kisses were more confident, now, less like a pair of nervy teenagers exploring each other’s bodies than a pair of adult women doing adult things.

“We’re getting better at this,” she voiced aloud. “We didn’t even clink teeth together that time.”

Blue grinned. “We’ll have to keep practicing.”

“I still need a minute,” Piper breathed. “ _Jesus_ , Blue, that was… _mmmmm.”_

She really had no words. She’d been fantasizing about doing this with Blue for ages, but nothing could’ve _ever_ prepared her for the real thing. It had been equal parts awkward, delightful, intoxicating, and world-shattering… just divine. Utterly divine. If  _this_ was what their sex life was going to be like going forward, Piper wasn't sure her heart could even take it.

And then there was _this._ She’d never actually _cuddled_ with anyone after sex before, or even felt the desire to, really, but with Blue? It was blissful. The two of them lay all tangled up together in a shower-damp heap, holding one another, _touching_ one another, playing footsie under the covers with their bare feet.

_Maybe we should stop… Ten minutes of this and I might be ready to go again…_

“I think…” Piper started.

A loud knock sounded at the door. Blue gasped and nearly jumped out of her skin. The towel on her head sloughed off onto the floor as she sat up, pulling the blanket up to cover her breasts.

Piper snickered. “It’s locked, you dork.”

“Dinner’s ready!” came Adam’s voice. “You guys in there?”

“Yeah!” Piper replied. “We’ll be up soon!”

Blue reached over and picked the fallen towel up, giving her hair another quick scrub.

“You okay, there, Blue?”

“Oh, shut up.” She blew Piper a raspberry. “I guess we should get dressed, though. I almost forgot about dinner!”

“Mmm, I suppose we could take a little break,” Piper acquiesced, reaching over to trace the contour of Blue’s hip with her index finger.

Blue flashed her a devilish grin. “Oh? A ‘break’, is it? You wanna go again, Miss Wright?”

“Are you kidding? I still have to do… you know, _you._ Do you. That kind of came out wrong.”

Blue gave her a sheepish, lopsided grin. “That sounds like something I would enjoy.”

“Hopefully. You’re now officially more experienced than I am, though,” Piper reminded her. “You’ll have to help me, too.”

“Well… we’ll figure it out as we go. It’ll be fun!” Blue declared, with her typical happy enthusiasm. “I don’t think it’ll be too difficult. I… to be honest, I almost came in the shower, while I was touching _you,_ and…”

She sucked in a breath and snapped her mouth shut. “Okay, yikes, too much information, definitely gonna shut up now…”

Piper laughed. “Why would that be too much information?”

“…I guess…it’s not?” said Blue, a happy realization suddenly dawning on her face. “It’s not! We’re lovers now! Telling you if or when I’m going to come would be perfectly appropriate while we’re having sex. Open communication between partners is important for a healthy sex life, after all. This is so exciting! It’s like we’re beta testing a new update for our relationship.”

“You are _so_ weird,” Piper chortled.

Blue beamed down at her, and Piper couldn’t help but stare.

“How did I ever get so lucky…?” Piper murmured, transfixed.

Blue shifted over and lowered herself onto Piper’s chest, cupping her cheek with a palm as her chill-hardened nipples pressed up against Piper’s own.

“I still think I’m the lucky one,” Blue whispered, leaning in for a gentle kiss. When they parted, Piper flicked her eyes over toward the locked door.

“To be continued?” she asked.

Blue giggled. “To be continued.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> :|
> 
> I regret nothing.


End file.
